James von Klemperer FAIA RIBA

A Global Perspective

Jamie’s work benefits from his global perspective as well as his deep understanding of a broad variety of urban contexts. He is able to translate complex architectural programs to the cultural needs of particular cities, strengthening the infrastructural connections of individual sites and creating buildings that make strong aesthetic statements. His design for One Vanderbilt sparked a revitalization of New York’s East Midtown district while establishing major new transit connections and public realm improvements. On the other side of the globe, North Bund Lot 91, an all-electric supertall in the center of Shanghai, supports China’s sustainability agenda while embodying a culturally representative design.

One Vanderbilt

New York, NY, USA

North Bund Lot 91

Shanghai, China

One Nine Elms

London, UK

Craft and Material Realization

As attentive to the hand-crafted detail as to the grand gesture, Jamie believes that an ambitious design concept is successful only when its underlying intentions are thoughtfully and rigorously developed in the details of its material realization. He has instilled a deep respect for the craft of construction into KPF’s design culture while applying contemporary interpretations of traditional craft techniques to his own projects. At 64 University Place, hand-laid brick arches complement the historic fabric of Greenwich Village, while the cast bronze screens of Hong Kong’s Blue Pool Road townhouses evoke the private, human scale of each individual home within a compact urban condition.

64 University Place

New York, NY, USA

Blue Pool Road

Hong Kong, China

520 Fifth Avenue

New York, NY, USA

Industry Leadership

A proponent of architectural education, Jamie regularly lectures at universities including Harvard, Columbia, Tsinghua, Tongji, Seoul National, and Yonsei Universities, the ESA in Paris, AMO in Lyon, and at Yale, where he taught as a Saarinen Visiting Professor. In 1980, he was honored as the Charles Henry Fiske Fellow at Trinity College, Cambridge. Jamie chairs the Board of Directors of the Skyscraper Museum, the Storefront for Art and Architecture, and the Urban Design Forum. He is a Trustee of Bard College.