As the year concludes, the firm celebrates 12 months of transformative projects, community collaboration, global recognition, and the launch of impactful new work around the world.
In Singapore, Changi Airport Terminal 5, designed in collaboration with Heatherwick studio, broke ground, launching construction on a city-scale aviation hub set to serve 50 million passengers annually. In New York, KPF projects continued to shape the city’s future, with 570 Fifth Avenue, the future home of Ikea’s Manhattan flagship, and the all-electric 343 Madison Avenue beginning vertical construction in Midtown. Austin’s skyline was transformed as Waterline reached its full height, becoming Texas’s tallest building and the city’s first supertall. Ziraat Bank’s new headquarters in Istanbul and T. Rowe Price’s headquarters in Baltimore celebrated their official openings this year. Meanwhile, the unveiling of Rybovich Marina in West Palm Beach set a new benchmark for luxury waterfront destinations.
KPF affirmed its commitment to sustainability with the opening of the Passive House–designed Bard College Residence Halls, establishing a new benchmark for low-energy student living. In Shanghai, Lakeville 6 and Plaza 66 Retail Pavilion topped out, and Fusion New Bund opened, strengthening KPF’s presence in the Qiantan district. Community and creativity were celebrated with “Red Hook Dreams,” a resident-led mural at the NYCHA Red Hook Houses. In Shenzhen, the Lianzhou Building opened, drawing praise from Architectural Record for its emphasis on connectivity.
Yiwu Place received an A&D Merit Award for reimagining the shopping mall as a vibrant, human-scale city center. Entrecampos in Lisbon won a MIPIM Award for urban regeneration, and Oriente Green Campus was honored in the Portugal Real Estate Awards for its integration of landscape and workplace. TCC Hoping opened in Taiwan, and a new premium office development was unveiled in Mumbai, expanding KPF’s reach in India.
KPF’s leadership was recognized by The Real Deal, which ranked the firm in the Top 5 New York Architects for Alteration Projects, and by BD+C as a leader in Transit Facility Design. Five KPF projects won 2025 CRED Awards, and Chapter London Bridge in the UK was honored with a prestigious Tall Building Award. 64 University Place was celebrated by Metropolis, New York Magazine, and the BRICK AWARD 26 for its sensitive response to Greenwich Village’s heritage.
The launch of Connective Urbanism – New York, the second in KPF’s series of books on contemporary architectural practice, emphasized the firm’s expertise in contextual urban design, following Design in Detail’s focus on craft. KPF also published KPF Review: Urban and KPF Review: Residential, magazines showcasing the firm’s global work in urban planning and residential design.
KPF leaders shared expertise at major industry events: Hana Kassem lectured on human-centric design at Georgia Tech and the Cyprus Architectural Association and was named AIA New York President for 2026; Elie Gamburg participated in the Life Sciences & Research Clusters Conference; and Shawn Duffy appeared in the “Building Icons” video series on sustainability. For outstanding contributions to the industry, Global Head of Sustainability Carlos Cerezo Davila received the inaugural Architectural Record Rising Professional Award.
As KPF approaches its 50th anniversary in 2026, the firm remains dedicated to advancing urban innovation, sustainability, and design excellence. This recap video celebrates the achievements of the KPF staff, clients, and collaborators throughout 2025, and looks ahead as the firm enters a new era of city building.
