Michel Mossessian
Encyclopedia
Michel Mossessian is a French architect
based in London
, UK
. Michel gained his diploma in architecture at the École nationale supérieure des Beaux-Arts
UP N°8 in Paris
, where he also engaged in philosophy under Jacques Derrida
and Michel Foucault
. His consistent design talent was recognised when he was invited to be a Villa Medicis Hors les Murs fellow at the Cooper Union School of Architecture
in New York
, where he studied Advanced Design. He subsequently completed his masters in design studies at Harvard Graduate School of Design
.
While working for Skidmore, Owings, and Merrill in their Chicago
and London
offices, Michel Mossessian, along with his business partner, Larry Oltmanns
, made a successful bid, resulting in the design of the new NATO headquarters in Brussels
. After the project was complete, Mossessian and Oltmanns left Skidmore, Owings, and Merrill.
, New York
, Paris
, and London
, including leading the design team that won the competition for the new NATO headquarters in Brussels
, Michel Mossessian chose to establish his independent practice in London to focus on the demands of complex, high density urban spaces.
His first building design in London was the landmark Carmine Building, which is a 15-storey office building at Five Merchant Square. As part of the Paddington Basin
Development, the building was topped off in 2009, by City of London Mayor, Boris Johnson
.
2010 saw the completion for mossessian & partners of three buildings: 5 Merchant Square in Paddington
, London
; ExxonMobil Headquarters in Shanghai
, China
; and a private residence in Sorede
, France
. The practice also completed schematic design for 9 buildings and a public square in the prestigious Heart of Doha regeneration project in Qatar
, due for completion in 2013. In 2011, mossessian & partners have gone on to win two further phases of this masterplan. mossessian & partners’ most recent win is an urban renewal project in the Medina of Fes
, Morocco
, a UNESCO World Heritage site
.
Architect
An architect is a person trained in the planning, design and oversight of the construction of buildings. To practice architecture means to offer or render services in connection with the design and construction of a building, or group of buildings and the space within the site surrounding the...
based in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, UK
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
. Michel gained his diploma in architecture at the École nationale supérieure des Beaux-Arts
École Nationale Supérieure des Beaux-Arts
The École Nationale Supérieure des Beaux-arts is the distinguished National School of Fine Arts in Paris, France.The École des Beaux-arts is made up of a vast complex of buildings located at 14 rue Bonaparte, between the quai Malaquais and the rue Bonaparte, in the heart of Saint-Germain-des-Près,...
UP N°8 in Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
, where he also engaged in philosophy under Jacques Derrida
Jacques Derrida
Jacques Derrida was a French philosopher, born in French Algeria. He developed the critical theory known as deconstruction and his work has been labeled as post-structuralism and associated with postmodern philosophy...
and Michel Foucault
Michel Foucault
Michel Foucault , born Paul-Michel Foucault , was a French philosopher, social theorist and historian of ideas...
. His consistent design talent was recognised when he was invited to be a Villa Medicis Hors les Murs fellow at the Cooper Union School of Architecture
Cooper Union
The Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art, commonly referred to simply as Cooper Union, is a privately funded college in the East Village neighborhood of Manhattan, New York City, United States, located at Cooper Square and Astor Place...
in New York
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
, where he studied Advanced Design. He subsequently completed his masters in design studies at Harvard Graduate School of Design
Harvard Graduate School of Design
The Harvard Graduate School of Design is a graduate school at Harvard University offering degrees in Architecture, Landscape Architecture, and Urban Planning and Design.-History:...
.
While working for Skidmore, Owings, and Merrill in their Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
and London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
offices, Michel Mossessian, along with his business partner, Larry Oltmanns
Larry Oltmanns
Larry Oltmanns has achieved international acclaim for his work as an architect and master planner of large-scale mixed-use developments worldwide. Master plans designed by Mr Oltmanns include 25 mixed-use developments over $100 million, of which 12 have been completed and four are under construction...
, made a successful bid, resulting in the design of the new NATO headquarters in Brussels
Brussels
Brussels , officially the Brussels Region or Brussels-Capital Region , is the capital of Belgium and the de facto capital of the European Union...
. After the project was complete, Mossessian and Oltmanns left Skidmore, Owings, and Merrill.
Practice
In 2005, Michel Mossessian established the architectural studio of mossessian & partners, where he serves as principal architect. mossessian & partners is an award-winning international architecture practice with expertise in architecture, urban planning, masterplanning, technological innovation and research & development. Following twenty years design experience on major projects in ChicagoChicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
, New York
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
, Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
, and London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, including leading the design team that won the competition for the new NATO headquarters in Brussels
Brussels
Brussels , officially the Brussels Region or Brussels-Capital Region , is the capital of Belgium and the de facto capital of the European Union...
, Michel Mossessian chose to establish his independent practice in London to focus on the demands of complex, high density urban spaces.
His first building design in London was the landmark Carmine Building, which is a 15-storey office building at Five Merchant Square. As part of the Paddington Basin
Paddington Basin
Paddington Basin is an area of Paddington, London named after the nearby canal basin.The junction of the Regent's Canal and the Grand Junction Canal is close to this point but the basin itself is the terminus of the Paddington Arm of the Grand Junction Canal. It was opened in 1801...
Development, the building was topped off in 2009, by City of London Mayor, Boris Johnson
Boris Johnson
Alexander Boris de Pfeffel Johnson is a British journalist and Conservative Party politician, who has been the elected Mayor of London since 2008...
.
2010 saw the completion for mossessian & partners of three buildings: 5 Merchant Square in Paddington
Paddington Basin
Paddington Basin is an area of Paddington, London named after the nearby canal basin.The junction of the Regent's Canal and the Grand Junction Canal is close to this point but the basin itself is the terminus of the Paddington Arm of the Grand Junction Canal. It was opened in 1801...
, London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
; ExxonMobil Headquarters in Shanghai
Shanghai
Shanghai is the largest city by population in China and the largest city proper in the world. It is one of the four province-level municipalities in the People's Republic of China, with a total population of over 23 million as of 2010...
, China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
; and a private residence in Sorede
Sorède
Sorède is a commune in the Pyrénées-Orientales department in southern France.-Administration:-Sights:* The main church "St Assiscle et Ste Victoire", 14th century choir, 17th century Baroque sculptures....
, France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
. The practice also completed schematic design for 9 buildings and a public square in the prestigious Heart of Doha regeneration project in Qatar
Qatar
Qatar , also known as the State of Qatar or locally Dawlat Qaṭar, is a sovereign Arab state, located in the Middle East, occupying the small Qatar Peninsula on the northeasterly coast of the much larger Arabian Peninsula. Its sole land border is with Saudi Arabia to the south, with the rest of its...
, due for completion in 2013. In 2011, mossessian & partners have gone on to win two further phases of this masterplan. mossessian & partners’ most recent win is an urban renewal project in the Medina of Fes
Fes
Fes or Fez is the second largest city of Morocco, after Casablanca, with a population of approximately 1 million . It is the capital of the Fès-Boulemane region....
, Morocco
Morocco
Morocco , officially the Kingdom of Morocco , is a country located in North Africa. It has a population of more than 32 million and an area of 710,850 km², and also primarily administers the disputed region of the Western Sahara...
, a UNESCO World Heritage site
World Heritage Site
A UNESCO World Heritage Site is a place that is listed by the UNESCO as of special cultural or physical significance...
.
Significant projects
- Place Lalla Yeddouna in FesFesFes or Fez is the second largest city of Morocco, after Casablanca, with a population of approximately 1 million . It is the capital of the Fès-Boulemane region....
, Marocco - December 2013 - Musheireb development in DohaDohaDoha is the capital city of the state of Qatar. Located on the Persian Gulf, it had a population of 998,651 in 2008, and is also one of the municipalities of Qatar...
, Qatar – under construction - Carmine Building at 5 Merchant Square in LondonLondonLondon is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, UK – completed 2010 - NATO headquarters in BrusselsBrusselsBrussels , officially the Brussels Region or Brussels-Capital Region , is the capital of Belgium and the de facto capital of the European Union...
, Belgium – with Skidmore, Owings and MerrillSkidmore, Owings and MerrillSkidmore, Owings and Merrill LLP is an American architectural and engineering firm that was formed in Chicago in 1936 by Louis Skidmore and Nathaniel Owings; in 1939 they were joined by John O. Merrill. They opened their first branch in New York City, New York in 1937. SOM is one of the largest... - Villa Olympica Barcelona in BarcelonaBarcelonaBarcelona is the second largest city in Spain after Madrid, and the capital of Catalonia, with a population of 1,621,537 within its administrative limits on a land area of...
, Spain – with Skidmore, Owings and MerrillSkidmore, Owings and MerrillSkidmore, Owings and Merrill LLP is an American architectural and engineering firm that was formed in Chicago in 1936 by Louis Skidmore and Nathaniel Owings; in 1939 they were joined by John O. Merrill. They opened their first branch in New York City, New York in 1937. SOM is one of the largest... - Broadgate in LondonLondonLondon is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, UK – with Skidmore, Owings and MerrillSkidmore, Owings and MerrillSkidmore, Owings and Merrill LLP is an American architectural and engineering firm that was formed in Chicago in 1936 by Louis Skidmore and Nathaniel Owings; in 1939 they were joined by John O. Merrill. They opened their first branch in New York City, New York in 1937. SOM is one of the largest...