Wikipedia

Costas Kondylis

Costas Kondylis (April 17, 1940 – August 17, 2018) was an American architect. He designed over 85 buildings in New York City, many of them for real-estate developer and later U.S. president Donald Trump, through his eponymous architectural firm.[2][4]

Costas Kondylis
Born
Costantine Andrew Kondylis[1]

(1940-04-17)April 17, 1940
Usumbura, Burundi[2]
DiedAugust 17, 2018(2018-08-17) (aged 78)
Manhattan, New York City, U.S.[2]
Alma materUniversity of Geneva
Columbia University
OccupationArchitect
Spouses
Gretchen Barnes
​
​
(m. 1969, divorced)​
[1][2]
Lori Lotte Neuner
​
​
(m. 1979; died 1995)​
[1]
Children2[2]
AwardsService Award (ORT, 1995); Lifetime Achievement Award for Design Excellence (New York Society of Architects, 1997); Leader of Industry Award (Concrete Industry Board, 1997)[3]
Practice
BuildingsTrump World Tower

Biography

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Kondylis was born in Burundi, where his parents were European Emigrants who came from Greece, Vassiliki and Andreas Kondylis, who opened a chain of general stores in East Africa.[2] Kondylis attended a boarding school there and attained master's degrees in Europe and the United States, respectively at the University of Geneva and at Columbia University. After receiving his master's degrees in 1967, Kondylis worked at Davis, Brody & Associates, and then at Philip Birnbaum & Associates. In 1989, Kondylis created Costas Kondylis Architects;[5] the firm's work was featured in several magazines[6] and was the subject of a television documentary.[7] The company was renamed Costas Kondylis and Partners LLP in 2000, when several of the firm's architects became partners in the organization including Alan Goldstein, L. Stephen Hill, Marta Rudzka, and David West.[8][9] The company, which was headquartered in New York City, dissolved in 2009. Afterward, he created another firm called Kondylis Design.[4] Kondylis died on August 17, 2018, of complications of Parkinson's disease.[2]

Works

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Trump World Tower

Kondylis was known for his conventional designs of skyscrapers in Manhattan, at a time when developers were either building low-rises or unconventional high-rises.[10] He created 86 residential towers in Manhattan over the course of his career.[11][10] From 2000 to 2007, it was estimated that he designed one residential building in Manhattan every six weeks on average.[4] A 2007 New York Times profile noted that Kondylis had designed 75 projects in New York City and was designing 15 more at the time.[10]

Some of Kondylis's projects were controversial. The 90-story Trump World Tower in Turtle Bay, Manhattan, New York City, was opposed by nearby residents and the United Nations, whose headquarters were located nearby.[4] However, the tower was built without further controversy.[12]

New York metropolitan area projects

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See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b c d Squat Design (May 2011). Building Stories - Costas Kondylis. Korangy Publishing Inc. Retrieved September 2, 2024 – via Issuu.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h Dunlap, David W. (August 24, 2018). "Costas Kondylis, Go-To Architect in a High-Rise Town, Dies at 78". The New York Times. Retrieved May 23, 2022.
  3. ^ Pape, Brian J. (October 22, 2018). "Architect Costas Kondylis Has Died". WestView News. Retrieved September 2, 2024.
  4. ^ a b c d Brenzel, Kathryn (August 17, 2018). "Costas Kondylis, the "developer's architect," dies at 78". The Real Deal New York. Retrieved August 21, 2018.
  5. ^ "Costas Kondylis - One of the NY's most prolific modern architects". www.ellines.com. Retrieved March 9, 2022.
  6. ^ Marino, Vivian (November 3, 2011). Costas Kondylis. The New York Times. Retrieved February 6, 2013.
  7. ^ "TRD-produced documentary is now online: VIDEO". The Real Deal New York. June 15, 2012. Retrieved August 21, 2018.
  8. ^ Chaban, Matt (October 17, 2012). "Goldstein, Hill & West: How New York's Most Anonymous Architects Have Taken Over the Skyline". Observer. Retrieved March 9, 2022.
  9. ^ Li, Roland (May 5, 2011). "Costas Kondylis, Emperor of the Skyline". Real Estate Weekly. Retrieved March 9, 2022 – via rolandli.me.
  10. ^ a b c Pogrebin, Robin (February 5, 2007). "Costas Kondylis - Architecture". The New York Times. Archived from the original on January 17, 2018. Retrieved August 21, 2018.
  11. ^ Jacobs, Karrie (November 11, 1996). "Inside Man". New York Magazine. New York Media, LLC. p. 28. Retrieved August 21, 2018.
  12. ^ Plitt, Amy (August 20, 2018). "Architect Costas Kondylis dies at 78". Curbed NY. Retrieved August 21, 2018.
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