Modern Marvels
Whether he is designing a building or creating a chair, innovation drives internationally renowned architect Andre Kikoski
There’s something about Andre Kikoski that immediately put you at ease. Delve a little further and he will share some of the most fascinating stories and details of homes and building he has created across the globe. For those not in the know, Kikoski is the founding principal of Andre Kikoski Architect, a Manhattan-based multi-disciplinary design firm. The firm works on varied projects ranging from arts, culture and hospitality to high-end residential and commercial real estate. Therefore it doesn’t come as a surprise that Kikoski is also the recipient of 41 international design awards, including an Award of Excellence by the AIA (American Institute of Architects) Design Awards. We caught up with the architect, who was in New Delhi for a Kohler event.
Current projects
We are working on a project with Lenny Kravitz’s design firm. It’s a 38-unit condominium building in Nolita, lower Manhattan. What’s special is the facade that is in cast concrete, a special design that we came up with. Then we have five residences in the Hamptons. We recently finished our construction documents for a house in Nanjing, China, a private villa, where the outer shell is traditional but the insides are completely contemporary. We are designing private residences in New York, an apartment building in California, and a cool restaurant and hospitality concept, in Koreatown in Los Angeles. We are also working on a prototype of an affordable housing solution.
How many projects do you do at a time?
We run anywhere from four to 14 projects. I have realised of late that my goal for 2019 is to look for projects that will let us focus on what we do best. We have been very fortunate working inside the Guggenheim museum, the Wright restaurant and One Hudson Yards (a residential skyscraper in Chelsea, Manhattan); the goal is to focus on finding iconic projects that have the potential for an iconic expression.
What are the important issue in design for 2109? Sustainability, the need to work with our environment, to make sure we are not wasting energy and resources, and to start an interaction between art and architecture.
Besides architecture what else does the firm do?
From real estate to homes—we have structured the firm in such a way that we can do anything. In 2017 we launched with Swarovski atelier a home collection in Salone, Milan. We have designed the bespoke plumbing fixture for One Hudson Yards. We have even done a wall covering line with Maya Romanoff and chairs for Ligne Roset. Besides this we regularly design carpets, wall covering and furniture for our buildings. We are proud that we can work at the highest end of the spectrum and we can also design things that are couple hundred dollars. Our goal is ultimately to create a sense of joy in what we do.