Architecture in the Real World - The Work of Hok

240 Pages·1985·34.207 MB·English

by  Walter McQuade

ARCHITECTURE in the Real World

ARCHITECTURE
in the Real World
The Work of HOK
by Walter McQuade
designed by Paul Grotz
Harry N. Abrams, Inc., Publishers, New York
Library ofCongress Cataloging in Publication Data
McQuade, Walter.
Architecture in the real world.
I. CCC/HOK (Corporation). 2. Architecture, Modern-
20th century—United States. I. Grotz. Paul.
II. Title.
NA737.C33M36 1984 720'.92'2 84-2881
ISBN 0-8109-1822-6
Published in 1984 by Harry N. Abrams, Inc., Publishers,
New York. All rights reserved. Copyright 1984
under the International Union for the protection of
literary and artistic works (Berne). No part ofthis book
may be reproduced without the permission ofthe
pubHshers.
Production by Chanticleer Press, Inc., New York.
Composition by Dix Type Inc., Syracuse, New York.
Printed and bound by Dai Nippon Printing Co., Ltd.,
Tokyo, Japan.
Foreword
During my years as an architectural observer James Gilman, Gerard Gilmore, George Hagee,
(for Fortune, Architectural Forum. The Nation. Frank M. Hammerstrom. Velpeau Hawes,
Life, Connoisseur, and others) I have increasingly James Henrekin, George W. Hellmuth,
wanted to get behind esthetics to describe how an Kathy Hoester, Charles B. Hook, Peter Hoyt,
architectural firm functions, what makes it Scott Hueting, Lawrence Hultengren,
succeed, beyond talent and taste. In other words, Robert Hysell, Chih-Chen Jen, Herbert Koopmen,
I've wanted to go past the facade into the business. Kenneth Kosar, Dale Kostner, Marcia Lacy.
To my knowledge, that has not been attempted Dennis Laflen, Richard Lapka, Donald Lee,
before. Patrick MacLeamy, Charles McCameron,
Three years ago I got the chance to try. One Robert Messmer, Catherine Moutoussis.
office, a large and able one, agreed to lay itself James Moynihan, Virginia Miller, Rolf Muenter,
open to scrutiny, finances included, with no right Neil Porterfield, Charles Reay, Bill Remington,
to edit the results. It is an unusual office in some Terril Richert, Timothy Rickard, Terryl Rodrian,
respects, not only larger than most, but ambitious Chester Roemer, Susan Sanner, Larry Sauer,
esthetically and compulsively well run. Yet, in its Larry Self, Gary Silver, Robert Stauder,
problems and practice, it resembles the profession David Suttle, Jody Taylor, Richard Tell,
as a whole. Nancy Toffant, Tad Tucker, Kathy Ulkus,
So, after several hundred interviews and a few Kiku Obata, William Valentine, Paul Watson,
thousand miles oftravelling, I wrote this book. It Graeme Whitelaw, Hugh Williamson,
may have some answers in it for smaller firms, or Henry Winkelman, Kathy Wolfe. Masao Yamada,
HOK
even bigger ones. At the least, it may pose them Floyd Zimmerman. Lorrie Adair, ofthe
some interesting questions. Architecture is a office, executed most ofthe drawings.
strange profession, a precarious mixture of high art Assistance was given, as well, by a number of
and canny business that is frequently lashed by clients. Gerson Bakar. Roger Boas.
economic suspense: when the national economy Michael Collins, Raymond Nasher, and
sags, building can go limp very fast, as all Rawleigh Warner among them. A thank you is due
architects know, including those described in these to the leave committee ofTime Inc., who, with the
pages. generous concurrence ofBill Rukeyser, Managing
Thanks are owed to many people. Chiefamong Editor oiFortune, granted me leave ofabsence for
them are George F. Hellmuth. Gyo Obata, the thejourney. Thanks, too, to the photographers
late George Kassabaum. King Graf, and whose work is acknowledged individually on page
—
Jerome Sincoff the latter two ofwhom, with 230, particulariy George Silk, who believes that
Obata, are now the operating leaders ofthe firm pictures ofbuildings should contain people. Most
HOK. I am grateful as well to many oftheir ofall a warm thank you to Paul Grotz, a colleague
colleagues, who put down their drawing pencils or ofm—any years' standing wh—o designed the book,
looked up from their computers to help: but as always with Paul did much more than
Robert Barr, Edward Bartz, C. Robert Belden, that to carry it forward. What is wrong with it must
Donald Berry. Roslyn Brandt. Bernard Bortnick, be blamed on the author alone.
Jerry Breakstone, Jamie Cannon, Frank Clements,
Harry Culpen, Charles Danna, Jerry Davis,
George Dickie. Robert E. Edmonds. Baiting Hollow, Long Island
Dorothy Forrest, Reagan George, Summer 1983