Thom Mayne
Encyclopedia
Thom Mayne is a Los Angeles
-based architect
. Educated at University of Southern California
(1969) and the Harvard University
Graduate School of Design in 1978, Mayne helped found the Southern California Institute of Architecture
(SCI-Arc) in 1972, where he is a trustee. Since then he has held teaching positions at SCI-Arc, the California State Polytechnic University, Pomona
(Cal Poly Pomona) and the University of California, Los Angeles
(UCLA). He is principal of Morphosis, an architectural firm in Santa Monica, California
. Mayne received the Pritzker Architecture Prize in March 2005.
Mayne was a member of the Holcim Awards
global jury in 2006 and a member of the Holcim Awards
jury for region North America in 2005. He presented a keynote address at the 3rd International Holcim Forum 2010 in Mexico City.
__toc__
Morphosis’s design philosophy arises from an interest in producing work with a meaning that can be understood by absorbing the culture for which it was made.
Beginning as an informal collaboration of designers that survived on non-architectural projects, its first official commission was a school in Pasadena
, attended by Mayne's son. Publicity from this project led to a number of residential commissions, including the Lawrence Residence.
Since then, Morphosis has grown into prominent design practice, with completed projects worldwide. Under the Design Excellence program of the United States government's General Service Administration, Thom Mayne has become a primary architect for federal projects. Recent commissions include: graduate housing at the University of Toronto
; the San Francisco Federal Building
; the University of Cincinnati
Student Recreation Center; the Science Center School in Los Angeles, Diamond Ranch High School
in Pomona, California
; and the Wayne L. Morse United States Courthouse
in Eugene, Oregon
.
The work of Morphosis has a layered quality. Visually, the firm’s architecture includes sculptural forms. In recent years, such visual effect has been made possible increasingly through computer design techniques, which simplify the construction of complex forms.
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
-based architect
Architect
An architect is a person trained in the planning, design and oversight of the construction of buildings. To practice architecture means to offer or render services in connection with the design and construction of a building, or group of buildings and the space within the site surrounding the...
. Educated at University of Southern California
University of Southern California
The University of Southern California is a private, not-for-profit, nonsectarian, research university located in Los Angeles, California, United States. USC was founded in 1880, making it California's oldest private research university...
(1969) and the Harvard University
Harvard University
Harvard University is a private Ivy League university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States, established in 1636 by the Massachusetts legislature. Harvard is the oldest institution of higher learning in the United States and the first corporation chartered in the country...
Graduate School of Design in 1978, Mayne helped found the Southern California Institute of Architecture
Southern California Institute of Architecture
The Southern California Institute of Architecture in Los Angeles , California, is an independent, nonprofit school offering undergraduate and graduate degrees in architecture. It offers community design and outreach programs, and free public access to frequent exhibitions and lectures by leading...
(SCI-Arc) in 1972, where he is a trustee. Since then he has held teaching positions at SCI-Arc, the California State Polytechnic University, Pomona
California State Polytechnic University, Pomona
California State Polytechnic University, Pomona, or Cal Poly Pomona, is a public university located in Pomona, California, United States...
(Cal Poly Pomona) and the University of California, Los Angeles
University of California, Los Angeles
The University of California, Los Angeles is a public research university located in the Westwood neighborhood of Los Angeles, California, USA. It was founded in 1919 as the "Southern Branch" of the University of California and is the second oldest of the ten campuses...
(UCLA). He is principal of Morphosis, an architectural firm in Santa Monica, California
Santa Monica, California
Santa Monica is a beachfront city in western Los Angeles County, California, US. Situated on Santa Monica Bay, it is surrounded on three sides by the city of Los Angeles — Pacific Palisades on the northwest, Brentwood on the north, West Los Angeles on the northeast, Mar Vista on the east, and...
. Mayne received the Pritzker Architecture Prize in March 2005.
Mayne was a member of the Holcim Awards
Holcim Awards for Sustainable Construction
The Holcim Awards is an international competition that seeks projects and visions in sustainable construction – irrespective of scale. A total of USD 2 million dollars in prize money is awarded in each three-year cycle....
global jury in 2006 and a member of the Holcim Awards
Holcim Awards for Sustainable Construction
The Holcim Awards is an international competition that seeks projects and visions in sustainable construction – irrespective of scale. A total of USD 2 million dollars in prize money is awarded in each three-year cycle....
jury for region North America in 2005. He presented a keynote address at the 3rd International Holcim Forum 2010 in Mexico City.
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Firm
Thom Mayne, with Livio Santini, James Stafford and Michael Brickler, founded Morphosis in 1971. Michael Rotondi joined the firm in 1975 to develop an architecture that would eschew the normal bounds of traditional forms.Morphosis’s design philosophy arises from an interest in producing work with a meaning that can be understood by absorbing the culture for which it was made.
Beginning as an informal collaboration of designers that survived on non-architectural projects, its first official commission was a school in Pasadena
Pasadena, California
Pasadena is a city in Los Angeles County, California, United States. Although famous for hosting the annual Rose Bowl football game and Tournament of Roses Parade, Pasadena is the home to many scientific and cultural institutions, including the California Institute of Technology , the Jet...
, attended by Mayne's son. Publicity from this project led to a number of residential commissions, including the Lawrence Residence.
Since then, Morphosis has grown into prominent design practice, with completed projects worldwide. Under the Design Excellence program of the United States government's General Service Administration, Thom Mayne has become a primary architect for federal projects. Recent commissions include: graduate housing at the University of Toronto
University of Toronto
The University of Toronto is a public research university in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, situated on the grounds that surround Queen's Park. It was founded by royal charter in 1827 as King's College, the first institution of higher learning in Upper Canada...
; the San Francisco Federal Building
San Francisco Federal Building
The San Francisco Federal Building is a building designed by the architectural firm Morphosis. It is located at 90 7th Street on the corner of Mission and 7th Streets in South of Market, San Francisco, as a replacement for the previous building at 450 Golden Gate Avenue...
; the University of Cincinnati
University of Cincinnati
The University of Cincinnati is a comprehensive public research university in Cincinnati, Ohio, and a part of the University System of Ohio....
Student Recreation Center; the Science Center School in Los Angeles, Diamond Ranch High School
Diamond Ranch High School
Diamond Ranch High School is a high school operated by the Pomona Unified School District in Pomona, California. In 2003, Diamond Ranch was named as a California Distinguished School by the California Department of Education. In April 2007, it was named a California Distinguished School for the...
in Pomona, California
Pomona, California
-2010:The 2010 United States Census reported that Pomona had a population of 149,058, a slight decline from the 2000 census population. The population density was 6,491.2 people per square mile...
; and the Wayne L. Morse United States Courthouse
Wayne L. Morse United States Courthouse
The Wayne L. Morse United States Courthouse is a federal courthouse located in Eugene, Oregon. Completed in 2006, it serves the District of Oregon as part of the Ninth Judicial Circuit. The courthouse is named in honor of former U.S. Senator Wayne Morse who represented Oregon for 24 years in the...
in Eugene, Oregon
Eugene, Oregon
Eugene is the second largest city in the U.S. state of Oregon and the seat of Lane County. It is located at the south end of the Willamette Valley, at the confluence of the McKenzie and Willamette rivers, about east of the Oregon Coast.As of the 2010 U.S...
.
The work of Morphosis has a layered quality. Visually, the firm’s architecture includes sculptural forms. In recent years, such visual effect has been made possible increasingly through computer design techniques, which simplify the construction of complex forms.
Awards and honors
- Neutra Medal for Professional ExcellenceCal Poly Pomona College of Environmental DesignThe California State Polytechnic University, Pomona College Environmental Design also known as the Cal Poly Pomona College of Environmental Design is one of Cal Poly Pomona's seven colleges. The college houses over 1,600 students; making it one of largest environmental design programs in the...
/ 2011 - The Edward MacDowell Medal / 2008
- Top Ten Green Project Award, 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...
Committee on the Environment / 2007 - Pritzker PrizePritzker PrizeThe Pritzker Architecture Prize is awarded annually by the Hyatt Foundation to honour "a living architect whose built work demonstrates a combination of those qualities of talent, vision and commitment, which has produced consistent and significant contributions to humanity and the built...
/ 2005 - Design Futures CouncilDesign Futures CouncilThe Design Futures Council is an interdisciplinary network of design, product, and construction leaders exploring global trends, challenges, and opportunities to advance innovation and shape the future of the industry and environment...
Senior Fellow - Chrysler Design AwardChrysler Design AwardThe Chrysler Design Awards celebrate the achievements of individuals in innovative works of architecture and design which significantly influenced modern American culture.- 2002 :*Red Burns*Mildred Friedman*Steve Jobs*Phyllis Lambert*Murray Moss...
of Excellence / 2001 - Los Angeles Gold Medal, 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...
/ 2000 - Alumni of the Year, University of Southern CaliforniaUniversity of Southern CaliforniaThe University of Southern California is a private, not-for-profit, nonsectarian, research university located in Los Angeles, California, United States. USC was founded in 1880, making it California's oldest private research university...
/ 1995 - Brunner Prize or Award in Architecture, American Academy of Arts and Letters / 1992
- Member Elect, American Academy of Design / 1992
- Eliel Saarinen Chair, Yale School of ArchitectureYale School of ArchitectureThe Yale School of Architecture is one of the constituent professional schools of Yale University. It is generally considered to be one of the most prestigious architecture schools in the world.- History :...
, Yale UniversityYale UniversityYale University is a private, Ivy League university located in New Haven, Connecticut, United States. Founded in 1701 in the Colony of Connecticut, the university is the third-oldest institution of higher education in the United States...
/ 1991 - Elliot Noyes Chair, Harvard University Graduate School of Design / 1988
- Rome Prize Fellowship, American Academy in Rome, Italy / 1987
Completed
- New Academic Building at 41 Cooper Square41 Cooper SquareThe Cooper Union's 41 Cooper Square, designed by architect Thom Mayne of Morphosis, is the newest addition to The Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art campus. The building, originally known as the New Academic Building, stands on the site where the School of Art Hewitt Building was...
, The Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art, New York, New York, 2009 - National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Satellite Operation Facility, Suitland, Maryland, 2007
- Cahill Center for Astronomy and Astrophysics at the California Institute of TechnologyCalifornia Institute of TechnologyThe California Institute of Technology is a private research university located in Pasadena, California, United States. Caltech has six academic divisions with strong emphases on science and engineering...
, Pasadena, California, 2009 - San Francisco Federal BuildingSan Francisco Federal BuildingThe San Francisco Federal Building is a building designed by the architectural firm Morphosis. It is located at 90 7th Street on the corner of Mission and 7th Streets in South of Market, San Francisco, as a replacement for the previous building at 450 Golden Gate Avenue...
, San Francisco, California, 2006 - Wayne L. Morse United States CourthouseWayne L. Morse United States CourthouseThe Wayne L. Morse United States Courthouse is a federal courthouse located in Eugene, Oregon. Completed in 2006, it serves the District of Oregon as part of the Ninth Judicial Circuit. The courthouse is named in honor of former U.S. Senator Wayne Morse who represented Oregon for 24 years in the...
, Eugene, Oregon, 2006 - Public housing in Madrid], SpainSpainSpain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
, 2006 - University of CincinnatiUniversity of CincinnatiThe University of Cincinnati is a comprehensive public research university in Cincinnati, Ohio, and a part of the University System of Ohio....
Student Recreation Center, Cincinnati, Ohio, 2006 - Science Center School, Los AngelesLos ÁngelesLos Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
, CaliforniaCaliforniaCalifornia is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
, 2004 - Caltrans District 7 HeadquartersCaltrans District 7 HeadquartersThe Caltrans District 7 Headquarters building at 100 South Main Street in Downtown Los Angeles, California serves the California Department of Transportation and the Los Angeles Department of Transportation. Built on a $165,000,000 budget it opened on September 24 2004...
, Los AngelesLos ÁngelesLos Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
, CaliforniaCaliforniaCalifornia is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
, 2004 - Hypo Alpe-Adria Center, KlagenfurtKlagenfurt-Name:Carinthia's eminent linguists Primus Lessiak and Eberhard Kranzmayer assumed that the city's name, which literally translates as "ford of lament" or "ford of complaints", had something to do with the superstitious thought that fateful fairies or demons tend to live around treacherous waters...
, AustriaAustriaAustria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
, 2002 - University of Toronto Graduate HouseUniversity of Toronto Graduate HouseGraduate House at the University of Toronto is a student residence specifically for graduate students, designed by Thom Mayne. It is located at 60 Harbord Street, Toronto.-History:...
, TorontoTorontoToronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
, OntarioOntarioOntario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
, CanadaCanadaCanada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
, 2000 - Diamond Ranch High SchoolDiamond Ranch High SchoolDiamond Ranch High School is a high school operated by the Pomona Unified School District in Pomona, California. In 2003, Diamond Ranch was named as a California Distinguished School by the California Department of Education. In April 2007, it was named a California Distinguished School for the...
, PomonaPomonaPomona was a goddess of fruitful abundance in ancient Roman religion and myth. Her name comes from the Latin word pomum, "fruit," specifically orchard fruit. She was said to be a wood nymph and a part of the Numia, guardian spirits who watch over people, places, or homes...
, CaliforniaCaliforniaCalifornia is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
, 1999 - Sun Tower in SeoulSeoulSeoul , officially the Seoul Special City, is the capital and largest metropolis of South Korea. A megacity with a population of over 10 million, it is the largest city proper in the OECD developed world...
, KoreaKoreaKorea ) is an East Asian geographic region that is currently divided into two separate sovereign states — North Korea and South Korea. Located on the Korean Peninsula, Korea is bordered by the People's Republic of China to the northwest, Russia to the northeast, and is separated from Japan to the...
1997 - Blades Residence, Santa Barbara, CaliforniaSanta Barbara, CaliforniaSanta Barbara is the county seat of Santa Barbara County, California, United States. Situated on an east-west trending section of coastline, the longest such section on the West Coast of the United States, the city lies between the steeply-rising Santa Ynez Mountains and the Pacific Ocean...
, 1995 - Salick Healthcare Office Building, Los Angeles, CA, 1991
- Crawford Residence, Montecito, CA, 1990
- Cedar Sinai Comprehensive Cancer Center, Los Angeles, CA, 1988
- 6th Street Residence, Santa Monica, CA, 1988
- Kate Mantilini / Beverly Hills, CA, 1986
In progress
- Phare Tower (Tour Phare)Phare TowerThe Phare Tower , in English, "Lighthouse Tower", is a planned approx. 300-meter tall skyscraper with 71 floors designed as a green building to be built in Courbevoie , France, in the La Défense district of suburban Paris...
, also known as "Le Phare" and "The Lighthouse", "green" wind-powered office building, La DéfenseLa DéfenseLa Défense is a major business district of the Paris aire urbaine. With a population of 20,000, it is centered in an orbital motorway straddling the Hauts-de-Seine département municipalities of Nanterre, Courbevoie and Puteaux...
, Paris, FranceFranceThe French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
, 2012 - Perot Museum of Nature & Science, Victory Park, Dallas, TexasDallas, TexasDallas is the third-largest city in Texas and the ninth-largest in the United States. The Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex is the largest metropolitan area in the South and fourth-largest metropolitan area in the United States...
, 2013 - Vialia VigoVigo railway stationVigo railway station, also known as Vigo-Urzaiz, was a railway terminus in Vigo, Spain.-External links:*...
, VigoVigoVigo is a city and municipality in north-west Spain, in Galicia, situated on the ria of the same name on the Atlantic Ocean.-Population:...
, Galicia, SpainSpainSpain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
, 2016
External links
- Morphosis.com - Official Website
- Morphopedia.com - Official Directory of Projects
- Online profile of Thom Mayne as principal of Morphosis
- American Maverick Wins Pritzker Prize New York Times, March 21, 2005
- Metropolis article on Mayne
- ARCH'IT article on NewCity Park
- ARCH'IT article on Caltrans District Headquarters
- Pritzker Prize Media Kit
- Thom Mayne's Guest DJ Project on KCRW KCRW Guest DJ set
- TED Talks: Thom Mayne on architecture as connection at TEDTED (conference)TED is a global set of conferences owned by the private non-profit Sapling Foundation, formed to disseminate "ideas worth spreading"....
in 2005