Shohei Shigematsu of OMA
Shohei Shigematsu discusses OMA’s process for designing the extension to the Albright Knox Gallery in Buffalo
Sponsored by Vitro Architectural Glass | Presented by Shohei Shigematsu
Shohei Shigematsu discusses OMA’s process for designing the extension to the Albright Knox Gallery in Buffalo. He describes the challenges of balancing preservation with function and how the gallery was built to address that issue. Shigematsu also discusses other projects, such as the Quebec Museum, and talks about the importance of the client in the client-architect relationship as well as OMA’s philosophy of allowing themselves to be transparent and honest with clients during the design process.
Photo courtesy of OMA Architects
OMA/Shohei Shigematsu Designed New Building for the Albright-Knox Art Gallery Expansion Project
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Aaron Prinz is the host of the Design:ED Podcast and holds a Masters of Architecture degree from the University of Texas at Austin. He was born and raised in the rural Northern California town of Red Bluff, just two hours south of the Oregon border. After one year of college, Prinz relocated to San Francisco to pursue a career in stand-up comedy. At age 26, he began studying architecture at Portland State University while interning at Studio Petretti Architecture led by Amanda Petretti. His professional contributions while at Studio Petretti were focused on a portion of the new Multnomah County Courthouse which is a prominent addition to the Portland skyline. He currently resides in Austin, Texas with his wife Roxanne where he continues to work as a designer. |
Vitro Architectural Glass (formerly PPG Glass), North America’s largest glass producer, is dedicated to glass innovation and fueled by the same people, plants and products that made PPG Glass one of the industry’s most respected and reliable commercial glass manufacturers.
Originally published in Architectural Record
Originally published in August 2023
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
- List three main factors Shigematsu names as influences on how OMA design the Albright Knox Gallery.
- Describe the main elements of the Albright Knox Gallery design and what problem is was solving.
- Describe, from Shigematsu’s perspective, why OMA might have won the bid for the Albright Knox Gallery.
- Explain one of the pitfalls of city design that Shigematsu feels architects should pay more attention to.
