The Architect
Allied Works Architecture, led by Brad Cloepfil, was chosen from a group of four finalists in the competition for the project after museum leadership and a selection committee reviewed the work of each candidate relevant to the redevelopment of Columbus Circle. The finalists also included Zaha Hadid, Toshiko Mori Architect and James Carpenter Design Associates, and Smith-Miller + Hawkinson Architects.
Based in Portland, OR, Allied Works Architecture was founded by Brad Cloepfil in 1994. The firm has completed a number of important cultural and educational projects throughout the United States, as well numerous private residences. The redevelopment of 2 Columbus Circle is Mr. Cloepfil's first institutional commission in New York City.
Brad Cloepfil is recognized for projects located in and adding new dimensions to strong architectural environments. This includes the recently completed Contemporary Art Museum St. Louis, MO, adjacent to Tadao Ando's new Pulitzer Foundation for the Arts; the expansion of the Seattle Art Museum, an addition to the original building by Venturi Scott Brown & Associates located in downtown Seattle, scheduled to open in 2007; the design for the new Booker T. Washington High School for the Performing and Visual Arts in Dallas, TX, situated in the heart of the Dallas Arts District and within blocks of buildings by architects Renzo Piano, I.M. Pei, and Edward Larrabee Barnes; and the new Museum of Arts and Design in New York City's dramatically transformed 2 Columbus Circle. The firm is also working on the renovation and expansion of the University of Michigan Museum of Art in Ann Arbor.
Other critically acclaimed projects realized by Allied Works Architecture include the Wieden + Kennedy Agency headquarters in Portland, OR, which also houses the Portland Institute for Contemporary Art; 2281 NW Glisan Building, Portland, OR; Swig Residence in Sun Valley, UT; and the "Sitings" project at the Maryhill Museum of Art in Goldendale, Washington. Since the completion of the Wieden + Kennedy project in January 2000, the buildings of Allied Works have received widespread recognition and been published nationally and internationally in a variety of design journals. Allied Works is included in the book "All American" focusing on the work of twenty young American firms, as well as "10x10" published by Phaidon in 2000.
Allied Works Architecture has received numerous regional American Institute of Architects awards and two Progressive Architecture awards from Architecture magazine. These awards were followed with speaking opportunities at the New York Architectural League "Emerging Architects" series, Washington University, Rice University, and many others. Cloepfil was a juror for the Progressive Architecture Awards in 2002. He received his Bachelor's degree in architecture from the University of Oregon and earned a Master's degree in architecture from Columbia University. Upon completing his studies, he worked in New York, Los Angeles and Switzerland for ten years before founding his own firm.
Design of 2 Columbus Circle
Developed by Brad Cloepfil and his Portland, Oregon-based firm Allied Works Architecture , the design transforms 2 Columbus Circle into a dynamic cultural center that weaves together the museum experience and street life in one of Manhattan’s most significant public spaces. The new building opens itself to the city and capitalizes on its dramatic location, a gateway linking Midtown Manhattan, the Upper West Side, and Central Park.
The primary design strategy of the new building is to open up the Museum to views and natural light as well as connections between gallery spaces. Linear cuts in the existing floor plates connect the galleries vertically. New vertical and horizontal openings in the existing exterior concrete wall provide views to the City and Central Park , as well as bring natural light into the gallery spaces.
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