Art Gensler

Millard Arthur Gensler Jr. (July 12, 1935 – May 10, 2021) was an American architect and entrepreneur. He was best known for founding Gensler, the world's largest architecture firm.[4] The firm's most prominent works include the terminals at the San Francisco International Airport and Shanghai Tower, the second-tallest building in the world.[1]

Art Gensler
Born
Millard Arthur Gensler Jr.

(1935-07-12)July 12, 1935[1]
New York City, U.S.[2]
DiedMay 10, 2021(2021-05-10) (aged 85)
Mill Valley, California, U.S.[3]
Alma materCornell University
OccupationArchitect
OrganizationGensler

Early life and education

Millard Arthur Gensler Jr. was born in 1935 in the New York City borough of Brooklyn. Gensler's father was Millard Arthur Gensler, Sr., a.k.a. "Slats", an architectural sales representative who sold ceiling tiles.[2] His mother, Gertrude Gensler, worked as a switchboard operator for the telephone company.[1] He attended high school in Hartford, Connecticut, after the family moved there, and earned his B.Arch. degree in 1958 from Cornell University,[2] where he played soccer and tennis and was a member of the Delta Phi fraternity (Llenroc).[3]

Career

In 1962, Gensler moved to San Francisco, where in 1965 he and his wife, Drue Gensler, along with James Follet, founded M. Arthur Gensler Jr. & Associates Inc., now known as Gensler.[2][3] As of May 2021 the firm had 5,000 employees in 50 cities around the world. It covers 28 aspects of design under separate specializations and is decentralized, with no headquarters; it retains a hub in San Francisco.[3] Gensler himself personally designed only one building for a client, the original Apple Store, at Steve Jobs's insistence.[3]

While Gensler stepped down as the firm's chairman in 2010,[4] he continued to work as an adviser.[3][5]

Gensler published his first book, Art's Principles, in 2015.[6][7]

Philanthropy

In January 2021, Art Gensler made a $10 million gift to Cornell University's College of Architecture, Art, and Planning as an endowment for the college's New York City satellite program, which Gensler co-created in 2006 with the then dean of the college, Mohsen Mostafavi. As a result of the gift, AAP NYC will be renamed to the Gensler Family AAP NYC Center.[8][9]

Personal life

In 1957, Gensler married Drue Cortell; they have four sons, David, Douglas, Robert, and Kenneth.[2] David Gensler was a co-CEO at Gensler;[3][10] Douglas C. Gensler is an architect and co-managing director for Gensler's office in Boston.[11]

Gensler died at his home on May 10, 2021.[3][12]

Awards

The Design Futures Council awarded Gensler its Lifetime Achievement Award in 2016.[13][14]

See also

References
  1. Friedman, Gillian (May 17, 2021). "Art Gensler Dies at 85; Built a Global Architecture Firm". The New York Times.
  2. Cassidy, Robert (January 3, 2012). "Art Gensler: Still Making a Difference for Clients Every Day". Building Design+Construction. Retrieved November 2, 2018.
  3. Whiting, Sam (May 10, 2021). "Art Gensler, architect who built a tiny S.F. shop into the largest design firm in the world, dies at 85". San Francisco Chronicle. Retrieved June 3, 2021.
  4. King, J. (March 15, 2014). "Art Gensler proud of design, largest architect firm in world". SFGate (San Francisco Chronicle). Retrieved November 2, 2018.
  5. Eng, Dinah (March 29, 2017). "How the Architect of the First Apple Stores Got Started". Fortune. Retrieved November 2, 2018.
  6. O'Connor, Brian (April 29, 2015). "Team Building: This CEO Found the Key to Employee Happiness--50 Years Ago". Inc. Retrieved November 2, 2018.
  7. "Book review: Art's Principles by Arthur Gensler". Best Design Books. September 16, 2015. Retrieved November 2, 2018.
  8. Hickman, M. (January 12, 2021). "Cornell AAP's New York City program receives $10 million gift from Gensler family". The Architect's Newspaper. Retrieved June 3, 2021.
  9. Wilensky, J. (January 12, 2021). "Gensler family endows, names Cornell AAP NYC program". Cornell Chronicle.
  10. Bradley, Ryan (August 20, 2013). "Gensler's power of three". Fortune. Retrieved January 20, 2019.
  11. "Douglas C. Gensler". Gensler. Archived from the original on January 21, 2019. Retrieved January 20, 2019.
  12. Waite, Richard (May 11, 2021). "Art Gensler, founder of world's largest architects, dies aged 85". Architects' Journal. Retrieved May 11, 2021.
  13. "Art Gensler Receives Lifetime Achievement Award from the Design Futures Council". Design Intelligence. Design Futures Council. January 21, 2016. Archived from the original on May 13, 2021. Retrieved November 2, 2018.
  14. Finta, Cale (September 14, 2016). "An American Architect: Arthur Gensler". Walnut Creek Magazine. Retrieved November 2, 2018.
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