Lee Polisano - Biography (kohn pederson associates)

August 8, 2007

Lee Polisano is President of Kohn Pedersen Fox Associates and founder of KPF’s London studio. Under his direction, the firm’s work focuses on a number of primary issues, namely a response to context, an awareness of the civic obligation of buildings, respect for the environment, and the importance of technology.

Mr. Polisano’s work is widely recognized for the emphasis it places on the civic and ecological responsibility of the built environment. Projects such as the innovative World Trade Center in Amsterdam and the largescale urban regeneration master plan for Glasgow have been widely recognized for achieving these goals. His UK headquarters for Rabobank, Thames Court in the City of London, has been widely credited with trans- forming commercial archi-tecture in London’s Square Mile while the Endesa Headquarters in Madrid has been cited as being among “the best of new contemporary American archi-tecture”. Recent highprofile projects include Heron Tower, London’s first bespoke multi-tenant office building and the Bishopsgate Tower, which will be the tallest building in the City of London.

Current projects include major new mixed-use precincts for both the city of Milan and for Saint-Denis, north of Paris.
Polisano was elected to The College of Fellows of the American Institute of Architects for his “notable contributions to the advancement of the profession of architecture.” He holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from LaSalle College in Philadelphia and a Master of Architecture degree from Virginia Polytechnic Institute and is a member of the Royal Institute of British Architects and the Architektenkammer Berlin.

Twenty years ago the idea that a single new tall building could be developed in the UK’s financial capital, the City of London, seemed a fairly remote possibility. Over the years one or two buildings had slipped through the planning net, such as the NatWest Tower and the Lloyd’s of London building. The idea that a group of such buildings would be forthcoming would at that time have been regarded as fantasy. Today’s reality is that the demand for office space is forcing the city to a cluster of new high-rise buildings. KPF (Kohn Pedersen Fox), one of the leading architects firms in the world is working on two of those high-rise buildings, namely Bishopsgate Tower an investment by Union Investment Real Estate AG (former DIFA) and Heron Tower. An interview with Lee Polisano, President of KPF.

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