Internationally renowned American architect Jeanne Gang has been named by Time as the most influential architect in the world. As the Founding Principal of the Chicago-based architecture and urban design practice, Studio Gang, she is the only architect to have made the 2019 Time 100 – the Time Magazine's list of 100 most influential people for 2019.
This prestigious list recognises the activism, innovation and achievement of the world’s most influential individuals.
Gang’s unique design approach and compelling architecture can be seen in her diverse body of work. Some of her completed buildings include the WMS Boathouse and the Aqua Tower, both in her hometown of Chicago, as well as the Arcus Center for Social Justice Leadership, and Writers Theatre. Vista Residences, a new 95-storey tower also in Chicago, will become the world's tallest building designed by a woman on completion.
Award-winning actress and playwright Anna Deavere Smith, who advocated for Gang, wrote in her Time 100 tribute:
“...for Jeanne, architecture is not just a wondrous object. It’s a catalyst for change. Her sleek, woody boathouses are helping to revive the polluted Chicago River by filtering runoff organically. Her 'Polis Station' concept aims to improve the way civilians interact with law enforcement by fusing police stations with civic recreational centres. She recently tested the idea in one of Chicago’s most violent neighbourhoods, adding a basketball court to the 10th District police station in North Lawndale. The results were so popular, she’s now expanding the facility.”
Gang is currently working on a new centre for the University of Chicago in Paris – her first project in France; the new Global Terminal and Concourse at O’Hare International Airport, which at 2.2 million square feet, will be her largest project to date; expansion of the American Museum of Natural History in New York City; a new campus for the California College of the Arts in San Francisco; and the new United States Embassy in Brazil.
Passionate about the issue of equality in the architecture industry, Gang has ensured gender pay parity at her firm.
Image credit: http://studiogang.com
