The KPF founding partner spoke with Trent Bell on his new book, Gesture and Response, and the design process behind some of KPF’s most iconic towers in the Architecture, Design, & Photography podcast.
With the release of his new book Gesture and Response, Bill focuses on the symbiotic relationship between buildings and the cities they inhabit, narrowing in on 25 of his own designs. Bill provides insight into his career and design philosophy during his conversation with host Trent Bell. During the podcast, the two discuss the influence of their relationships on their work, including Bill’s partnership with co-founder Gene Kohn and how the pair balanced each other. Going back through KPF’s portfolio, Bill notes 333 Wacker Drive as one of the first buildings to garner great attention for the firm, and the immediate reaction he had to the site, “the response that was necessary seemed to be so obvious… the building identified its place in the skyline simply by the virtue of the tautness of the curve along the Chicago River.” Further discussing the responsibility of buildings to respond to their surroundings, Bill said “every one of our buildings is very unlike any other building we’ve done. And it’s all because of this issue of how does this conversation work in a certain place.”
Now in its second season, the Architecture, Design, & Photography podcast invites industry experts to discuss their career paths and inspiration, and the challenges and rewards of working in a creative field. Watch Bill Pedersen’s full episode here.