Eric Kuhne
Encyclopedia
Eric Robert Kuhne is an American-born architect living and working in London. Owner of CivicArts / Eric R Kuhne & Associates, his office is a research and design firm which has completed projects on five continents. The philosophy of CivicArts is to "re-unite the creative arts of art, architecture, garden, interior, urban and industrial design." He advances the theory of CivicArts as a counterpoint to the anonymity of modern culture.
With major projects around the world, Kuhne's best known assignment was the Bluewater Shopping Centre in Kent completed in 1999, the largest shopping mall in Europe. He is perhaps best known now for his recent master plan for Kuwait’s City of Silk which includes a proposal for a record-breaking 1001 metres (3,284.1 ft) Burj Mubarak al-Kabir (Arabian Nights Tower). He was subsequently commissioned to create a similar project in Dubai in February 2008.
of Swiss, Czech, and Swedish heritage and he grew up in the Air Force as a son to Major Robert David Kuhne and Thelma Parsons Kuhne. He moved with his sister (Dawn Elyse) and brother (Wes Parsons) from one Air Force base to another, living in San Antonio, Houston, Biloxi, Tampa, Tucson, Chicago, and El Paso before his father retired in 1962. The family then moved to New Haven, Indiana
and civilian life.
During his childhood, his father taught him perspective drawing when he was seven years old. His parents introduced him to architecture and civil engineering through books in their library. His early employment was with a landscape architect in Fort Wayne, Indiana
before beginning work as an assistant to Dr Louis G. Petro, a Civil Engineer in Fort Wayne. With Louis G Petro & Associates, between the ages of 14 and 16, he learned drafting, project management, and the fundamentals to both architecture and engineering. He worked for Cole Matson & Matott Architects in Fort Wayne in his final year of high school. Graduating from New Haven High School in 1969, he entered William Marsh Rice University in the School of Architecture. There, he completed a Bachelor of Arts Degree with majors in both Art and Architecture in 1973. Returning to Indiana, he began work for Louis Petro, who was then the head of the Fort Wayne Housing Authority, and within three months he was selected as the Midtown Architect for Mayor Ivan Lebamoff in Fort Wayne. During this time, he completed a new master plan for downtown Fort Wayne. In addition, he restored the farmer's market back to West Berry Street, designed the Courtyards Project (then called the "Alley Project") at Wayne and Calhoun Streets, and developed the initial plans for Citilights State Park (eventually to become Headwaters Park).
While in Fort Wayne, Kuhen was also appointed to the Board of the Public Transportation Corporation by Mayor Lebamoff. He was appointed to the Allen County Soil & Water Conservation District by the Governor of the State of Indiana.
Traveling in Europe in 1974 under the William Ward Watkin
Traveling Fellowship, which he been awarded from the Rice University School of Architecture in 1973, he traveled throughout Europe. Kuhne left Fort Wayne in 1981 to work for Michael Graves
, Architect in Princeton, New Jersey. In the autumn of 1981 Kuhne entered Princeton's Graduate School of Architecture and graduated in 1983 with a Masters of Architecture degree. For his work there, he won the Henry Adams Medal from the American Institute of Architects
.
Kuhne now works and lives in London in Clerkenwell
. In December 2009, Eric Kuhne became a British citizen and holds dual citizenship with the United States of America.
While at Princeton, in 1981 he opened Eric R Kuhne & Associates in his apartment on Nassau Street overlooking the entrance to Princeton University. There he hired several of his colleagues at the School of Architecture and entered design competitions. He won the Columbus Carscape Competition and three Progressive Architecture Design Awards for Courtyards, Headwaters Park, and River Walk.
The office was relocated to New York City in 1985 at 50 Walker Street where it remained until 2005 when it was centred in London. All work has been done out of the London Office which was opened in 1994.
School of Architecture entitled "Civic Vs Public". There he met Malcolm Latham who had just moved from being Director of the National Capital Planning Authority in Canberra to Director of Special Projects in Lend Lease Corporation
. Through Latham, he was introduced to Stuart Hornery, Chairman of the Board of Lend Lease.
Lend Lease engaged Kuhne's office to work on Darling Park, Australia's largest mixed-use waterfront development in Sydney. There many of the advanced ideas of cities and architecture were incubated. Darling Park continues to be one of the most successful waterfront developments in the southern hemisphere. It includes Cockle Bay Wharf and the Waratah Gardens as part of its completed design of 1200000 square feet (111,483.6 m²).
After living in Sydney, Kuhne was asked in 1994 to move to England to take over the design of Bluewater Park, the largest retail/lesiure destination in Europe. His office led a design and engineering team for Lend Lease's Project Management team to produce Bluewater as nearly 2000000 square feet (185,806.1 m²) of the finest retail/leisure destination in Europe.
Opening an office in London, Kuhne began expanding the concentration of researchers, designers, and planners in the United Kingdom. With the addition of BurJuman Gardens Shopping Centre in Dubai in 1999, Kuhne's firm began working globally to create landmark destinations around the world. Kuhne now lectures all over the world about his research, using his projects to illustrate advanced ideas in art, architecture, landscape, urban and industrial design. His talks include "Civic Vs Public", "Stillife Vs Wildlife", "The Art of the Gift", "Marketplace of Ideas", "Skyscrapers vs Starcatchers", "Ornamental Cities" and "Five Cities For The Future". These talks all explore restoring the quality of story-telling to architecture, gardens and cities.
in Sydney, Australia, the huge Bluewater shopping centre in Kent, and the Titanic Quarter redevelopment in Belfast. His other projects include:
With major projects around the world, Kuhne's best known assignment was the Bluewater Shopping Centre in Kent completed in 1999, the largest shopping mall in Europe. He is perhaps best known now for his recent master plan for Kuwait’s City of Silk which includes a proposal for a record-breaking 1001 metres (3,284.1 ft) Burj Mubarak al-Kabir (Arabian Nights Tower). He was subsequently commissioned to create a similar project in Dubai in February 2008.
Life
Kuhne was born in San Antonio, TexasSan Antonio, Texas
San Antonio is the seventh-largest city in the United States of America and the second-largest city within the state of Texas, with a population of 1.33 million. Located in the American Southwest and the south–central part of Texas, the city serves as the seat of Bexar County. In 2011,...
of Swiss, Czech, and Swedish heritage and he grew up in the Air Force as a son to Major Robert David Kuhne and Thelma Parsons Kuhne. He moved with his sister (Dawn Elyse) and brother (Wes Parsons) from one Air Force base to another, living in San Antonio, Houston, Biloxi, Tampa, Tucson, Chicago, and El Paso before his father retired in 1962. The family then moved to New Haven, Indiana
New Haven, Indiana
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 12,406 people, 4,900 households, and 3,415 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,522.0 people per square mile . There were 5,141 housing units at an average density of 630.7 per square mile...
and civilian life.
During his childhood, his father taught him perspective drawing when he was seven years old. His parents introduced him to architecture and civil engineering through books in their library. His early employment was with a landscape architect in Fort Wayne, Indiana
Fort Wayne, Indiana
Fort Wayne is a city in the US state of Indiana and the county seat of Allen County. The population was 253,691 at the 2010 Census making it the 74th largest city in the United States and the second largest in Indiana...
before beginning work as an assistant to Dr Louis G. Petro, a Civil Engineer in Fort Wayne. With Louis G Petro & Associates, between the ages of 14 and 16, he learned drafting, project management, and the fundamentals to both architecture and engineering. He worked for Cole Matson & Matott Architects in Fort Wayne in his final year of high school. Graduating from New Haven High School in 1969, he entered William Marsh Rice University in the School of Architecture. There, he completed a Bachelor of Arts Degree with majors in both Art and Architecture in 1973. Returning to Indiana, he began work for Louis Petro, who was then the head of the Fort Wayne Housing Authority, and within three months he was selected as the Midtown Architect for Mayor Ivan Lebamoff in Fort Wayne. During this time, he completed a new master plan for downtown Fort Wayne. In addition, he restored the farmer's market back to West Berry Street, designed the Courtyards Project (then called the "Alley Project") at Wayne and Calhoun Streets, and developed the initial plans for Citilights State Park (eventually to become Headwaters Park).
While in Fort Wayne, Kuhen was also appointed to the Board of the Public Transportation Corporation by Mayor Lebamoff. He was appointed to the Allen County Soil & Water Conservation District by the Governor of the State of Indiana.
Traveling in Europe in 1974 under the William Ward Watkin
William Ward Watkin
William Ward Watkin was an architect primarily practicing in Houston, Texas.Watkin was born in Boston, Massachusetts and grew up in Danville, Pennsylvania. After graduating from the University of Pennsylvania in 1908, he spent a year in Europe and then moved to Boston, Massachusetts to join the...
Traveling Fellowship, which he been awarded from the Rice University School of Architecture in 1973, he traveled throughout Europe. Kuhne left Fort Wayne in 1981 to work for Michael Graves
Michael Graves
Michael Graves is an American architect. Identified as one of The New York Five, Graves has become a household name with his designs for domestic products sold at Target stores in the United States....
, Architect in Princeton, New Jersey. In the autumn of 1981 Kuhne entered Princeton's Graduate School of Architecture and graduated in 1983 with a Masters of Architecture degree. For his work there, he won the Henry Adams Medal from the American Institute of Architects
American Institute of Architects
The American Institute of Architects is a professional organization for architects in the United States. Headquartered in Washington, D.C., the AIA offers education, government advocacy, community redevelopment, and public outreach to support the architecture profession and improve its public image...
.
Kuhne now works and lives in London in Clerkenwell
Clerkenwell
Clerkenwell is an area of central London in the London Borough of Islington. From 1900 to 1965 it was part of the Metropolitan Borough of Finsbury. The well after which it was named was rediscovered in 1924. The watchmaking and watch repairing trades were once of great importance...
. In December 2009, Eric Kuhne became a British citizen and holds dual citizenship with the United States of America.
Foundation
The current organization of CivicArts was outlined in 1975. The five divisions of Research (Edgewater Mail & Breeze), Concept Design (Citilights), Professional Architectural Services (Eric R Kuhne & Associates), Industrial Design & Manufacturing (Tesserax Designs), and Investment (Spondulix Deveopment) was prescribed as a way to convert ideas to form to built projects to retail distribution of custom designs to investment of real & intellectual property.While at Princeton, in 1981 he opened Eric R Kuhne & Associates in his apartment on Nassau Street overlooking the entrance to Princeton University. There he hired several of his colleagues at the School of Architecture and entered design competitions. He won the Columbus Carscape Competition and three Progressive Architecture Design Awards for Courtyards, Headwaters Park, and River Walk.
The office was relocated to New York City in 1985 at 50 Walker Street where it remained until 2005 when it was centred in London. All work has been done out of the London Office which was opened in 1994.
Sydney, Australia
In 1990, Kuhne visited his sister's family in Sydney, Australia and gave a talk at the University of SydneyUniversity of Sydney
The University of Sydney is a public university located in Sydney, New South Wales. The main campus spreads across the suburbs of Camperdown and Darlington on the southwestern outskirts of the Sydney CBD. Founded in 1850, it is the oldest university in Australia and Oceania...
School of Architecture entitled "Civic Vs Public". There he met Malcolm Latham who had just moved from being Director of the National Capital Planning Authority in Canberra to Director of Special Projects in Lend Lease Corporation
Lend Lease Corporation
Lend Lease Group is a global property and infrastructure company headquartered in Sydney, Australia...
. Through Latham, he was introduced to Stuart Hornery, Chairman of the Board of Lend Lease.
Lend Lease engaged Kuhne's office to work on Darling Park, Australia's largest mixed-use waterfront development in Sydney. There many of the advanced ideas of cities and architecture were incubated. Darling Park continues to be one of the most successful waterfront developments in the southern hemisphere. It includes Cockle Bay Wharf and the Waratah Gardens as part of its completed design of 1200000 square feet (111,483.6 m²).
World wide operations
Opening an office in London, Kuhne began expanding the concentration of researchers, designers, and planners in the United Kingdom. With the addition of BurJuman Gardens Shopping Centre in Dubai in 1999, Kuhne's firm began working globally to create landmark destinations around the world. Kuhne now lectures all over the world about his research, using his projects to illustrate advanced ideas in art, architecture, landscape, urban and industrial design. His talks include "Civic Vs Public", "Stillife Vs Wildlife", "The Art of the Gift", "Marketplace of Ideas", "Skyscrapers vs Starcatchers", "Ornamental Cities" and "Five Cities For The Future". These talks all explore restoring the quality of story-telling to architecture, gardens and cities.
Philosophy
His design philosophy, which he labels "Marketplace of Ideas" is to conceive "great" civic spaces that "restore the storytelling quality of architecture." He states, "cities have always been marketplaces for commodities, goods, services and faiths" but that "none of these truly reveres the power of civic life." He argues that retail trade "can bring back the pageantry of civic life to cities and towns."Projects
Large scale retail-based projects that exemplify this philosophy include Cockle Bay WharfCockle Bay (Sydney)
Cockle Bay is a small bay in inner-city Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. It is located on the western edge of the Sydney central business district....
in Sydney, Australia, the huge Bluewater shopping centre in Kent, and the Titanic Quarter redevelopment in Belfast. His other projects include:
1980s
1990s
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2000 - 2005
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2006 - present
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External links
- CivicArts
- CivicArts on flickr
- Video: "Starcatchers versus Skyscrapers", Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat 2009 Chicago Conference