Mover and Shaker Andre Kikoski at The Wright, his design, and a Peachy's Pick
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Since his last Whom You Know interview two years ago, Andre Kikoski, AIA, LEED AP of Andre Kikoski Architect, has built significantly on the success of his work at the Guggenheim Museum. On Whom You Know Andre was first featured as a Mover and Shaker in 2009, and has been a brilliant beacon of excellence in his field ever since and subsequently was featured in Brilliant Business People in 2012. We are thrilled to present his first encore in Brilliant Business People.
His firm’s distinguished clients -- including the Guggenheim Museum, Ligne Roset, The Related Companies, Saks Fifth Avenue, and Swarovski Crystal -- span the worlds of the arts, culture, design and commerce. Recent projects that capture the evolution of Andre Kikoski Architect include works in the following areas: in the realm of luxury retail an international concept store for Radiance Jewelry at the Aria Resort; in the arts Doyle Gallery in New York; in hospitality Sophie’s at Saks Fifth Avenue (multiple locations); private residential works including One Madison Park and a West Chelsea Triplex loft; in residential and commercial development a project with the Related Companies, 174 Duane Street (a Tribeca Loft conversion), the Dunbar Apartments in Harlem and 700 Atlantic Avenue at Atlantic Yards.
In January, Andre Kikoski Architect completed Sophie’s at Saks Fifth Avenue, Chicago’s newest luxury restaurant named for and inspired by the iconic elegance and enduring style of fashion designer Sophie Gimbel, who for forty years defined sophistication for Saks Fifth Avenue. Seamlessly integrated within the new men’s store, The Fifth Avenue Man, Sophie’s delivers a unique fusion of architecture, fashion and food by translating the innovation, luxury, and cool that is the core of both Sophie Gimbel and Saks Fifth Avenue into a dining venue. A sleek bar and inviting café lounge adjoin an open kitchen that is silhouetted by linen glass. The dining room, a comfortable loft-like aerie, is perched on the seventh floor overlooking Michigan Avenue. The stunning panoramic views of the Magnificent Mile, the Historic Water Tower, the John Hancock Center and Lake Shore Drive are a focal point of the room and an elegant counterpoint to the private dining room which is screened by cascading rippled glass.
The firm also designed a sleek Manhattan high-rise apartment on the 32nd floor of One Madison Park. This 1,500-square-foot pied-a-terre for a globe-trotting art collector is an elegant haven for the owner to recharge and enjoy ever-changing views of the Manhattan skyline while enjoying favorite pieces from his dynamic art collection. The design solution reworked the plan to enhance the incredible views and to create museum-quality space to exhibit statement pieces amidst a vocabulary of geometrically-pure sculptural forms that are handcrafted in sophisticated materials. These quietly luxurious custom details in Burmese Teak, Statuary Bronze, Brazilian Marble slabs, and wide-plank European Oak floors and exquisite Italian furniture, upholstery and fabrics complement the views and art, allowing them to come forward in the space. Furnishings and fabrics in a color palette of creams and light browns are by Promemoria, Cecotti, Giorgetti, Loro Piano, and Donghia. With originality and nuanced consideration invested in each and every element of the design vision, this Collector’s Pied-A-Terre achieves a unique and contemporary haven of luxury and tranquility.
Among other projects, Andre Kikoski Architect is currently designing a residential development at Duane Park. The proposal to reconfigure the building floorplan and create a rooftop penthouse addition at 174 Duane Street is intended to be respectful and complementary to this unique landmarked Manhattan neighborhood. The goal is to create a design that is wholly appropriate within the rich context of the historic district’s character and present day physical reality. The firm’s solution is rendered in weathered Cor-ten steel with exposed fasteners and structural sliding glass walls on the exterior. A luxurious appointment of elegant finishes and fixtures compliment the graciously scaled family homes within.
Recent awards and accolades attest to thoughtful investigation of design which is Andre Kikoski Architect’s hallmark. In 2014 the firm again ranked as a Finalist in the WAN 21 for 21 Awards, a major international competition aiming to highlight 21 architects who could be the leading lights of architecture in the 21st Century (also earning Finalist in 2012). In 2013, the firm received the Anchin Rising Star in Design Award, which is designed to recognize one rising star in design based on accelerated growth, highlighting the industries’ fastest growing companies. Andre Kikoski Architect was also the recipient of the 2012 American Institute of Architect’s Institute Honor Award, an award that recognizes outstanding design in architecture and is the profession’s highest recognition of excellence.
Andre is an active member of the architecture community and in January the Van Alen Institute, an organization dedicated to advancing innovation in architecture and urban design, announced that Andre Kikoski joined its Board of Trustees at the start of its 120th anniversary year. Andre is also a frequent speaker, design critic and juror for organizations including the American Institute of Architects, the Architectural League of New York, Architectural Record, the Center for Architecture, New York School of Interior Design and New York University, Parsons the New School for Design and the Pratt Institute. We are absolutely thrilled to present a new exclusive interview with Mover and Shaker Andre Kikoski. Peachy Deegan interviewed Andre for Whom You Know.
Peachy Deegan: How do you decide which projects to take on?
Andre Kikoski:
We look for a passionate client with a clearly articulated vision / goal.
What have been your most favorite architectural endeavors since 2012 and what did you like about each?
Every new project is an opportunity for us to design something innovative and elegant, and so they are all favorites. We’ve particularly enjoyed our recent immersion in super-luxury projects, which are an opportunity to think with great nuance and care. Although we approach even our most budget driven projects in the same way…
During the evolution of a project how often does your original plan change and how do you approach design challenges successfully?
Our plans are always a product of strong dialogue with our client, so they constantly evolve and change as we uncover and clarify our client’s intrinsic vision for their project. I might add that we also evaluate the project with a broad spectrum of criteria including financial and operational considerations, in addition to questions of aesthetics and taste.
What constitutes a great design?
Great design is the perfect balance of beautiful form rendered in elegant material and with thoughtful detail to achieve a true functionality that will make our client’s project successful in every way.
How do residential requests differ in contrasting Manhattan neighborhoods-do you see consistencies in certain areas or is each project quite unique to the individual(s) living there?
In our experience and practice, each project tends to mirror and celebrate the personality and style of the diverse array of individuals commissioning them. Whether they are noted members of the arts, fashion or investment communities, all of our clients want a home that is comfortable, inviting, and will help them live a more elegant and exciting lifestyle.
Is there anything at Saks's Chicago restaurant that is design-inspired by the Stanley Cup, which seemed to be quite the resident of Chicago in 2010 and 2013?
There are shimmering accents of trophy-like metal, but having seen the cup recently at the Hockey Hall of Fame, I have to say that the Stanley Cup is an icon in its own right!
How is your son Lars's hockey team doing?
They had a great season and ended up winning their division!
As the Stanley Cup gets older and bigger carrying more names, how do you think it should be addressed from a design perspective? Someday it may get too big to lift if they keep going on like this?
They actually remove the older winners names to add the new winners, but I think it would be very cool to incorporate a high-technology feature to display every winner’s name and bring the cup design into the 21st century.
Do you take on all new clients or do you have a list of criteria you are looking to fulfill when you approach a new situation?
One of my oldest mentors and dearest friends taught me to ask three questions when we are contacted for a new commission:
Is this client passionate about their project vision?
Do they have the resources to complete the commission successfully? And this is not just about the budget; it also includes their creative capacities and/or their organizational depth and know-how, for instance.
When finished, will this project teach us something or achieve success in its own criteria?
If the answers to at least two the three questions are “Yes” then it’s a go!
If someone wants something done that is fairly impossible from an architectural standpoint, what do you do?
My belief is that everything is possible with the proper resources. In those instances, we also outline a host of alternate solutions that are more practical and achievable.
Will you be featured in any new upcoming books?
Our work was recently featured in the book Restaurant & Bar Design III, and with the recent opening of Sophie’s we will be published in a variety of online and print features so be sure to be on the lookout in the upcoming months.
If you could design any high rise tower what would it look like and where would it be?
I think it would be great to create digitally-designed high rise form in New York City. We are quite inspired by what is happening at the Hudson Yards and also at the World Trade Center, which are both the future of Manhattan!
What are you proudest of and why?
My son Lars, he continues to amaze me with his kindness and many talents.
What would you like to do professionally that you have not yet had the opportunity to do?
We have been extremely lucky to have already worked on a wide variety of projects types all over the world. We would very much like to design a Hamptons beach house however…
What one word best describes you and why?
I think the one word that best describes me is imaginative.
What do you take your sense of identity from?
Both of my parents families are amazing in their qualities and sensibilities, I’m lucky to draw inspiration from their incredible histories and accomplishments.
What is your favorite place to be in Manhattan?
While I love the vibrant energy of Manhattan on a sunny spring day, I love being at home and watching a perfect sunset over Central Park.
What is your favorite shop in Manhattan?
It will be the new innovative wine shop that we are designing at the World Trade Center.
If you could hire anybody who would it be and why?
I imagine Salvador Dali would be a dream employee – with equal parts of inspiration and provocation…
What is your favorite restaurant in Manhattan?
My favorite restaurant is the singular Four Seasons. Even after all these years it remains a tour de force.
What is your favorite Manhattan book or favorite character in Manhattan literature?
Caleb Carr’s The Angel of Darkness, it’s Sherlock Holmes set in 1890’s New York.
Who would you like to be for a day and why?
It’s a toss-up between Lou Reed playing at the Mudd Club and Leo Castelli having dinner with his circle of artists.
What is your favorite thing to do in Manhattan that you can do nowhere else?
Run the loop in Central Park.
If you could have dinner with any person living or passed, who would it be and why?
I would love to have dinner with Thomas Jefferson because his innovative talents, genius and imagination knew no bounds.
Other than Movers and Shakers of course, what is your favorite Whom You Know column and what do you like about it?
I am inspired by Briliant Businesspeople of course.
What else should Whom You Know readers know about you?
We would love to hear from them about innovative projects they may be considering.
How would you like to be contacted by Whom You Know readers?
However is most convenient – either by email info@akarch.com or phone 212-627-0240