Helmut Jahn
Encyclopedia
Architecture
Architecture is both the process and product of planning, designing and construction. Architectural works, in the material form of buildings, are often perceived as cultural and political symbols and as works of art...
, well known for designs such as the US$800 million Sony Center
Sony Center
The Sony Center is a Sony-sponsored building complex located at the Potsdamer Platz in Berlin, Germany. It opened in 2000.-History:The site was originally a bustling city centre in the early 20th century. Most of the buildings were destroyed or damaged during World War II...
on the Potsdamer Platz
Potsdamer Platz
Potsdamer Platz is an important public square and traffic intersection in the centre of Berlin, Germany, lying about one kilometre south of the Brandenburg Gate and the Reichstag , and close to the southeast corner of the Tiergarten park...
, Berlin
Berlin
Berlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union...
, the Messeturm
Messeturm
The Messeturm is a skyscraper in Frankfurt am Main, Germany. Its name translates as "Fair Tower" in German. It is the second tallest building in Frankfurt, the second tallest building in Germany. The Messeturm's ground floor area is just . The Messeturm is directly located in the Frankfurt Trade...
in Frankfurt
Frankfurt
Frankfurt am Main , commonly known simply as Frankfurt, is the largest city in the German state of Hesse and the fifth-largest city in Germany, with a 2010 population of 688,249. The urban area had an estimated population of 2,300,000 in 2010...
and the One Liberty Place, formerly the tallest building in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Philadelphia is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the county seat of Philadelphia County, with which it is coterminous. The city is located in the Northeastern United States along the Delaware and Schuylkill rivers. It is the fifth-most-populous city in the United States,...
, and Suvarnabhumi Airport
Suvarnabhumi Airport
Suvarnabhumi Airport , also known as Bangkok International Airport, is an international airport serving Bangkok, Thailand. It was officially opened for limited domestic flight service on 15 September 2006, and opened for most domestic and all international commercial flights on 28 September...
, an international airport in Bangkok
Bangkok
Bangkok is the capital and largest urban area city in Thailand. It is known in Thai as Krung Thep Maha Nakhon or simply Krung Thep , meaning "city of angels." The full name of Bangkok is Krung Thep Mahanakhon Amon Rattanakosin Mahintharayutthaya Mahadilok Phop Noppharat Ratchathani Burirom...
, Thailand.
Jahn was born in Nuremberg
Nuremberg
Nuremberg[p] is a city in the German state of Bavaria, in the administrative region of Middle Franconia. Situated on the Pegnitz river and the Rhine–Main–Danube Canal, it is located about north of Munich and is Franconia's largest city. The population is 505,664...
, Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
in 1940. After attending the Technical University of Munich
Technical University of Munich
The Technische Universität München is a research university with campuses in Munich, Garching, and Weihenstephan...
from 1960 to 1965 he worked with Peter C. von Seidlein for a year. In 1966 he emigrated to Chicago to further study architecture at the Illinois Institute of Technology
Illinois Institute of Technology
Illinois Institute of Technology, commonly called Illinois Tech or IIT, is a private Ph.D.-granting university located in Chicago, Illinois, with programs in engineering, science, psychology, architecture, business, communications, industrial technology, information technology, design, and law...
, leaving school without earning his degree.
In 1967 he joined C. F. Murphy Associates as a protégé of Gene Summers and was appointed Executive Vice President and Director of Planning and Design of the firm in 1973. In 1981 the firm was renamed Murphy/Jahn, although Murphy
Charles Murphy (architect)
Charles Francis Murphy was an American architect based in Chicago, Illinois.-Biography:Born in Jersey City, New Jersey, Murphy was educated at the De La Salle Institute in Chicago....
died a few years later in 1985, leaving Jahn in control. Despite a rocky start when the roof of his first major project Kemper Arena
Kemper Arena
Kemper Arena is a 19,500 seat indoor arena, in Kansas City, Missouri.It is named for R. Crosby Kemper Sr., a member of the powerful Kemper financial clan and who donated $3.2 million, from his estate for the arena...
in Kansas City, Missouri
Kansas City, Missouri
Kansas City, Missouri is the largest city in the U.S. state of Missouri and is the anchor city of the Kansas City Metropolitan Area, the second largest metropolitan area in Missouri. It encompasses in parts of Jackson, Clay, Cass, and Platte counties...
collapsed in 1979, Jahn established his pre-eminent reputation in 1985 with the State of Illinois Center
James R. Thompson Center
The James R. Thompson Center is located at 100 W. Randolph Street in the Loop, Chicago, Illinois and houses offices of the State of Illinois. The building opened in May 1985 as the State of Illinois Center. It was renamed in 1993 to honor former Illinois Governor James R. Thompson...
in Chicago which prompted him to be dubbed "Flash Gordon
Flash Gordon
Flash Gordon is the hero of a science fiction adventure comic strip originally drawn by Alex Raymond. First published January 7, 1934, the strip was inspired by and created to compete with the already established Buck Rogers adventure strip. Also inspired by these series were comics such as Dash...
."http://www.architectureweek.com/2002/0717/design_1-1.html.
Though maintaining his office in Chicago under the Murphy/Jahn moniker, Jahn has grown the business into a global architectural practice that consistently ranks among top 20 United States architectural firms in terms of gross annual billings.
Completed projects
- 1974 Kemper ArenaKemper ArenaKemper Arena is a 19,500 seat indoor arena, in Kansas City, Missouri.It is named for R. Crosby Kemper Sr., a member of the powerful Kemper financial clan and who donated $3.2 million, from his estate for the arena...
, Kansas City, MissouriKansas City, MissouriKansas City, Missouri is the largest city in the U.S. state of Missouri and is the anchor city of the Kansas City Metropolitan Area, the second largest metropolitan area in Missouri. It encompasses in parts of Jackson, Clay, Cass, and Platte counties... - 1976 Auraria Learning Resources CenterAuraria LibraryAuraria Library is an academic library located in downtown Denver, Colorado. The library serves three institutions of higher learning: the downtown Denver campus of the University of Colorado Denver, Metropolitan State College of Denver, and Community College of Denver.Built in 1976, the library...
, Auraria Higher Education Center, Denver, ColoradoDenver, ColoradoThe City and County of Denver is the capital and the most populous city of the U.S. state of Colorado. Denver is a consolidated city-county, located in the South Platte River Valley on the western edge of the High Plains just east of the Front Range of the Rocky Mountains... - 1977 Michigan City Public Library, Michigan City, IndianaMichigan City, IndianaMichigan City's origins date to 1830, when the land for the city was first purchased by Isaac C. Elston. Elston Middle School, formerly Elston High School, located at 317 Detroit St., is named after the founder....
(http://www.thenewsdispatch.com/articles/2011/04/26/news/local/doc4db6490a56d5d398776641.txt) - 1977 Saint Mary's College Athletic Facility, Notre Dame, IndianaNotre Dame, IndianaNotre Dame is a census-designated place north of South Bend in St. Joseph County, Indiana, United States; it includes the campuses of three colleges: the University of Notre Dame, Saint Mary's College, and Holy Cross College. Notre Dame is split between Clay and Portage Townships...
(pictures) - 1980 Xerox Center (55 West Monroe), Chicago, Illinois
- 1983 First Source Centre, South Bend, IndianaSouth Bend, IndianaThe city of South Bend is the county seat of St. Joseph County, Indiana, United States, on the St. Joseph River near its southernmost bend, from which it derives its name. As of the 2010 Census, the city had a total of 101,168 residents; its Metropolitan Statistical Area had a population of 316,663...
http://www.bluffton.edu/~sullivanm/jahn/jahn2.html - 1983 11 Diagonal Street11 Diagonal Street11 Diagonal Street is a skyscraper in Johannesburg, South Africa. It was built in 1984 to a height of 80 metres. It is designed to look like a diamond as it reflects different views of the Central Business District from each angle of the building....
, Johannesburg, South Africahttp://www.emporis.com/en/wm/bu/?id=103546 - 1984 701 Building (Craig-Hallom Building), MinneapolisMinneapolis, MinnesotaMinneapolis , nicknamed "City of Lakes" and the "Mill City," is the county seat of Hennepin County, the largest city in the U.S. state of Minnesota, and the 48th largest in the United States...
, MinnesotaMinnesotaMinnesota is a U.S. state located in the Midwestern United States. The twelfth largest state of the U.S., it is the twenty-first most populous, with 5.3 million residents. Minnesota was carved out of the eastern half of the Minnesota Territory and admitted to the Union as the thirty-second state... - 1984 O'Hare 'L' StationO'Hare (CTA)O'Hare is the 'L' station at the northwestern terminus of the CTA's Blue Line. It is a subway station with two island platforms serving three tracks, located at O'Hare International Airport, 17 miles northwest of the Chicago Loop. Trains are scheduled to depart from O'Hare roughly every 2-7...
, O'Hare International Airport, Chicago, Illinois - 1985 James R. Thompson CenterJames R. Thompson CenterThe James R. Thompson Center is located at 100 W. Randolph Street in the Loop, Chicago, Illinois and houses offices of the State of Illinois. The building opened in May 1985 as the State of Illinois Center. It was renamed in 1993 to honor former Illinois Governor James R. Thompson...
, Chicago, Illinois - 1986 362 West Street, Durban, South Africa
- 1986 Oakbrook Terrace Tower, Oakbrook Terrace, IllinoisOakbrook Terrace, IllinoisOakbrook Terrace is a city in DuPage County, Illinois, a suburb of Chicago. The population was 2,300 at the 2000 census. A 2003 recount gave the city a population of 2,293. Its current mayor is Tony "Red Panda" Ragucci.-Points of interest:...
http://www.emporis.com/en/wm/bu/?id=126138 - 1987 Park Avenue Tower, New York, New Yorkhttp://www.emporis.com/en/wm/bu/?id=114550
- 1987 425 Lexington Avenue, New York, New York http://www.emporis.com/en/wm/bu/?id=115214
- 1987 United Airlines Terminal 1 at O'Hare International AirportO'Hare International AirportChicago O'Hare International Airport , also known as O'Hare Airport, O'Hare Field, Chicago Airport, Chicago International Airport, or simply O'Hare, is a major airport located in the northwestern-most corner of Chicago, Illinois, United States, northwest of the Chicago Loop...
, Chicago, Illinois - 1987 America Apartments - 300 East 85th Street, New York, NY http://www.emporis.com/building/americaapartments-newyorkcity-ny-usa
- 1987 One Liberty Place, Philadelphia, PennsylvaniaPhiladelphia, PennsylvaniaPhiladelphia is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the county seat of Philadelphia County, with which it is coterminous. The city is located in the Northeastern United States along the Delaware and Schuylkill rivers. It is the fifth-most-populous city in the United States,...
- 1987 Cityspire, New York, New York http://www.emporis.com/en/wm/bu/?id=114433
- 1988 Wilshire/Westwood, Los Angeles, CaliforniaLos Angeles, CaliforniaLos Angeles , with a population at the 2010 United States Census of 3,792,621, is the most populous city in California, USA and the second most populous in the United States, after New York City. It has an area of , and is located in Southern California...
- 1990 Bank of America TowerBank of America Tower (Jacksonville)The Bank of America Tower is a skyscraper in downtown Jacksonville, Florida, United States. It is the tallest building in Jacksonville, and the ninth-tallest in the state of Florida...
, Jacksonville, Florida http://www.emporis.com/en/wm/bu/?id=106361 - 1990 Two Liberty Place, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania http://www.emporis.com/en/wm/bu/?id=117968
- 1991 MesseturmMesseturmThe Messeturm is a skyscraper in Frankfurt am Main, Germany. Its name translates as "Fair Tower" in German. It is the second tallest building in Frankfurt, the second tallest building in Germany. The Messeturm's ground floor area is just . The Messeturm is directly located in the Frankfurt Trade...
, Frankfurt, Germany - 1993 Hitachi Tower, SingaporeSingaporeSingapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...
http://www.emporis.com/en/wm/bu/?id=106361 - 1993 Caltex House, Singapore
- 1994 Hotel Kempinski, Munich, Germany
- 1994 Kurfürstendamm 70, Berlin, Germany
- 1997 RCID Administration Building, Orlando, FloridaOrlando, FloridaOrlando is a city in the central region of the U.S. state of Florida. It is the county seat of Orange County, and the center of the Greater Orlando metropolitan area. According to the 2010 US Census, the city had a population of 238,300, making Orlando the 79th largest city in the United States...
- 1998 Generale Bank Nederland, Rotterdam, Netherlands
- 1999 European UnionEuropean UnionThe European Union is an economic and political union of 27 independent member states which are located primarily in Europe. The EU traces its origins from the European Coal and Steel Community and the European Economic Community , formed by six countries in 1958...
Headquarters, Brussels, Belgium - 1999 Munich Airport Center, Germany
- 2000 Sony CenterSony CenterThe Sony Center is a Sony-sponsored building complex located at the Potsdamer Platz in Berlin, Germany. It opened in 2000.-History:The site was originally a bustling city centre in the early 20th century. Most of the buildings were destroyed or damaged during World War II...
Berlin, Germany - 2000 Cologne Bonn AirportCologne Bonn AirportCologne/Bonn Airport is an international airport located in the district of Porz in the city of Cologne, Germany, and is surrounded by the Wahner Heide nature reserve. The airport is centrally located in the Cologne/Bonn Region southeast of Cologne city centre and northeast of Bonn...
, Cologne, Germany - 2000 HA·LO Headquarters (presently the headquarters of ShureShureShure Incorporated is an American corporation originally founded by Sidney N. Shure in Chicago, Illinois in 1925 as a supplier of radio parts kits. The company became a consumer and professional audio-electronics manufacturer of microphones, wireless microphone systems, phonograph cartridges,...
), Niles, IllinoisNiles, IllinoisNiles is a village in Maine and Niles Townships, Cook County, Illinois, United States. The 2010 population from the U.S. Census Bureau is 29,803.The current mayor of Niles is Robert M. Callero.-History:Niles was first settled in 1827.... - 2000 Neues Kranzler Eck, Berlin, Germany
- 2002 Kaufhof Galeria, Chemnitz, Germany
- 2002 Shanghai International Expo Centre, Shanghai, China
- 2002 Bayer AG Konzernzentrale http://www.leverkusen.com/guide/Archiv1.txt/Lev00294.html, Leverkusen, Germany
- 2003 Deutsche Post TowerPost TowerPost Tower is the headquarters of the logistic company Deutsche Post DHL with the two brands postal services for Germany Deutsche Post and the worldwide logistic company DHL. The Post Tower is a 162.5-metre, 41-storey office building in Bonn, Germany...
, Bonn, Germany - 2003 IIT Student HousingState Street VillageState Street Village is the newest residence hall for the Illinois Institute of Technology in Chicago, Illinois. Designed by Helmut Jahn of Murphy-Jahn Associates, the dormitory is IIT's newest, completed in 2003....
, Chicago, Illinois - 2003 Highlight Munich Business TowersHighlight TowersThe Highlight Towers are two office towers completed in 2004 in Munich, Germany which are considered exemplary for new architecture in this city....
, Munich, Germany - 2004 Horizon Serono, Geneva, Switzerland
- 2006 Suvarnabhumi AirportSuvarnabhumi AirportSuvarnabhumi Airport , also known as Bangkok International Airport, is an international airport serving Bangkok, Thailand. It was officially opened for limited domestic flight service on 15 September 2006, and opened for most domestic and all international commercial flights on 28 September...
, Bangkok, Thailand - 2007 600 North Fairbanks, Chicago, IL U.S.A.
- 2010 Veer TowersVeer TowersVeer Towers are twin 37-story, , towers, located on the Las Vegas Strip in Paradise, Nevada, each housing 337 luxury condominium units ranging in size from . The two towers lean in opposite directions adjacent to the Crystals, Retail and Entertainment District, and across the street from the...
, Las Vegas, NV U.S.A. - 2011 Joe and Rika Mansueto Library, Chicago, IL U.S.A.
Awards
- 1991 - "Ten Most Influential Living American Architects" from the American Institute of ArchitectsAmerican Institute of ArchitectsThe American Institute of Architects is a professional organization for architects in the United States. Headquartered in Washington, D.C., the AIA offers education, government advocacy, community redevelopment, and public outreach to support the architecture profession and improve its public image...
. - 1993 - "Outstanding Achievement/Architect Award" from The American Academy of Art, Chicago, Illinois.
- 1994 - "BundesverdienstkreuzBundesverdienstkreuzThe Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany is the only general state decoration of the Federal Republic of Germany. It has existed since 7 September 1951, and between 3,000 and 5,200 awards are given every year across all classes...
Erster Klasse" of the Federal Republic of GermanyGermanyGermany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
. - 2002 - Institute Honour Award of the American Institute of ArchitectsAmerican Institute of ArchitectsThe American Institute of Architects is a professional organization for architects in the United States. Headquartered in Washington, D.C., the AIA offers education, government advocacy, community redevelopment, and public outreach to support the architecture profession and improve its public image...
for the Sony Center. - 2005 - Murphy/Jahn, Inc. recipient of the AIA Architecture Firm Award.