Part of a global series of KPF50 parties, Principals and Directors welcomed guests to Heron Tower, one of the firm’s defining projects in the City of London.
Against the backdrop of the London skyline the firm has helped shape over several decades, KPF leaders from the New York and London offices welcomed clients and members of London’s design community for an evening that celebrated KPF’s accomplishments in the U.K. and around the world.
KPF President and Principal James von Klemperer opened the evening with a reflection on the values that Gene Kohn, Bill Pedersen, and Shelly Fox established for the firm: a culture of meritocracy, curiosity and choosing the “best idea in the room.” Fifty years later, those values have taken KPF from a start up in New York City to a global architecture firm responsible for projects as diverse as the Covent Garden masterplan, five of the world’s 12 tallest towers and the ongoing design of one of the world’s largest airport terminals, now underway in Singapore.
Sir George Lacobescu, former Chairman and CEO, Canary Wharf Group, spoke about KPF’s role in the transformation of Canary Wharf, from the derelict docklands into a new piece of London. He described the district as “a bridge from London’s past to its future,” praising KPF’s contribution to its growth, and the firm’s involvement from the beginning.
Lars Huber, Head of Europe, Hines, celebrated a global partnership with KPF built through trust and a willingness to make ideas better together, explaining “KPF always looks beyond the building to the connections that make the city alive to the people who live there.”
Leanne Tritton, Chair, The London Society, recalled the lessons she learnt from Gene Kohn and Paul Katz, and the commitment required to build and sustain a practice over five decades. “When people talk about brands and values, they can spend more time talking about fonts and colors,” she said. “But brand is about what you do, not what you say you’ll do.”
Finally, Peter Murray, OBE, Co-Founder, NLA, looked back to KPF’s earliest years in London, when he was told that a young American practice “might do something good for London.” Just eight years after KPF was founded, he organized its first RIBA exhibition, with enough work already completed to fill a catalogue. “By 1985, Gene had already realized the importance of globalism,” he said, adding that 50 years on, “KPF is still influential and at the top of its game.”
KPF Principals Forth Bagley, John Bushell, Charles Ippolito, Mustafa Chehabeddine, Shawn Duffy, Elie Gamburg, Brian Girard, Ko Makabe and Paul Simovic joined the celebrations for the evening.
