Pelli Clarke Pelli Architects announces the renaming of the award-winning firm to Pelli Clarke &Partners as it honors the firm’s legacy and continue its vision for the future. Together, Fred Clarke and Rafael Pelli along with ten other exceptional Partners are proud to lead Pelli Clarke & Partners into the bright future.
Pelli Clarke & Partners is known for designing some of the world’s most iconic buildings. The firm’s portfolio includes critically-acclaimed buildings such as Petronas Towers in Kuala Lumpur, the International Finance Center in Hong Kong, and Salesforce Transit Center in San Francisco.
Pelli Clarke & Partners designs transformative buildings and public spaces that connect people and place – earning the firm hundreds of international awards for design excellence, as well as coveted awards from national, regional, and local chapters of the American Institute of Architects (AIA).
Continuing their commitment to excellence by creating imaginative buildings that honor a city and energize its communities, Pelli Clarke & Partners has several new projects on the horizon. “We’re looking toward our bright future here at Pelli Clarke & Partners and are thrilled that a number of transformative projects will open their doors in 2022,” said Fred Clarke, Founder and Partner at Pelli Clarke & Partners. “We’re delighted that the coming year brings the grand opening of Texas Tower in Houston, Salesforce Tower Chicago, and the Chengdu Museum of Natural History in China. These projects celebrate the innovative spirit and contemporary ethos in the heart of their respective cities.”
Founded by Cesar Pelli with partners Fred Clarke and Diana Balmori in 1977, the firm began its legacy as Cesar Pelli & Associates at its first office in New Haven, Connecticut – the location that remains its flagship office today. In 2000, Rafael Pelli established the New York office. In recognition of the significant contributions of its senior designers, the firm name became Pelli Clarke Pelli Architects in 2005. Over the next two decades, the firm further developed its international scope - opening offices in Tokyo, Shanghai and most recently, Shenzhen in 2020.
Always a visionary, Cesar Pelli laid the groundwork for growth and transition to occur organically. Inspired by his time working with Eero Saarinen, Cesar fostered a studio environment that encouraged active participation, sharing of ideas and complete collaboration across the entire firm. When Cesar Pelli passed away in 2019, the Partners were already carrying on Cesar’s vision as the next generation of leadership at the helm.
With five offices around the world, and a portfolio of current projects that will transform cities over the next decade, the firm is strengthened by its cohesive leadership and the team’s ability to work across geographic and cultural boundaries.
“All of us at Pelli Clarke & Partners are proud to carry our legacy forward, rooted in a rigorous, open, and responsive design process,” said Rafael Pelli, Partner at Pelli Clarke &Partners. “Our new name celebrates our deeply collaborative culture as we continue our legacy of creating sustainable and inspiring environments that transform communities around the world.”
The name, Pelli Clarke & Partners, introduces a new wordmark, website and energy that reflect the well-established, highly regarded reputation of the firm while continuing its technical proficiency and visionary perspective. Pelli Clarke & Partners is pleased to share their design heritage story with a video that can be viewed at www.pcparch.com/firm
Related Stories
Architects | May 2, 2024
Emerging considerations in inclusive design
Design elements that consider a diverse population of users make lives better. When it comes to wayfinding, some factors will remain consistent—including accessibility and legibility.
K-12 Schools | Apr 30, 2024
Fully electric Oregon elementary school aims for resilience with microgrid design
The River Grove Elementary School in Oregon was designed for net-zero carbon and resiliency to seismic events, storms, and wildfire. The roughly 82,000-sf school in a Portland suburb will feature a microgrid—a small-scale power grid that operates independently from the area’s electric grid.
AEC Tech | Apr 30, 2024
Lack of organizational readiness is biggest hurdle to artificial intelligence adoption
Managers of companies in the industrial sector, including construction, have bought the hype of artificial intelligence (AI) as a transformative technology, but their organizations are not ready to realize its promise, according to research from IFS, a global cloud enterprise software company. An IFS survey of 1,700 senior decision-makers found that 84% of executives anticipate massive organizational benefits from AI.
Codes and Standards | Apr 30, 2024
Updated document details methods of testing fenestration for exterior walls
The Fenestration and Glazing Industry Alliance (FGIA) updated a document serving a recommended practice for determining test methodology for laboratory and field testing of exterior wall systems. The document pertains to products covered by an AAMA standard such as curtain walls, storefronts, window walls, and sloped glazing. AAMA 501-24, Methods of Test for Exterior Walls was last updated in 2015.
MFPRO+ News | Apr 29, 2024
World’s largest 3D printer could create entire neighborhoods
The University of Maine recently unveiled the world’s largest 3D printer said to be able to create entire neighborhoods. The machine is four times larger than a preceding model that was first tested in 2019. The older model was used to create a 600 sf single-family home made of recyclable wood fiber and bio-resin materials.
K-12 Schools | Apr 29, 2024
Tomorrow's classrooms: Designing schools for the digital age
In a world where technology’s rapid pace has reshaped how we live, work, and communicate, it should be no surprise that it’s also changing the PreK-12 education landscape.
Adaptive Reuse | Apr 29, 2024
6 characteristics of a successful adaptive reuse conversion
In the continuous battle against housing shortages and the surplus of vacant buildings, developers are turning their attention to the viability of adaptive reuse for their properties.
AEC Innovators | Apr 26, 2024
National Institute of Building Sciences announces Building Innovation 2024 schedule
The National Institute of Building Sciences is hosting its annual Building Innovation conference, May 22-24 at the Capital Hilton in Washington, D.C. BI2024 brings together everyone who impacts the built environment: government agencies, contractors, the private sector, architects, scientists, and more.
Mass Timber | Apr 25, 2024
Bjarke Ingels Group designs a mass timber cube structure for the University of Kansas
Bjarke Ingels Group (BIG) and executive architect BNIM have unveiled their design for a new mass timber cube structure called the Makers’ KUbe for the University of Kansas School of Architecture & Design. A six-story, 50,000-sf building for learning and collaboration, the light-filled KUbe will house studio and teaching space, 3D-printing and robotic labs, and a ground-level cafe, all organized around a central core.
Sports and Recreational Facilities | Apr 25, 2024
How pools can positively affect communities
Clark Nexsen senior architects Jennifer Heintz and Dorothea Schulz discuss how pools can create jobs, break down barriers, and create opportunities within communities.
