Steven Holl

The American Steven Holl (1947-) is one of the best known and most appreciated architects on the international contemporary scene. His projects combine a great expressive force with a remarkable intellectual density, also expressed in his numerous writings in which he reconnects the theoretical foundations of his architecture to key themes of contemporary philosophy, such as the Maurice Merleau-Ponty phenomenology. Holll designs buildings often characterized by squared but unusual geometries, based on projecting elements and the irregular alternation of solids and voids in the surfaces. Among his best-known works are the Simmons Hall student residence of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (2003), the Kiasma museum of contemporary art in Helsinki (1998) or the Bellevue Art Museum in Washington (2001). He has received numerous international awards, including the Alvar Aalto Medal (1998) and the Imperial Prize for Architecture (2014). In the field of product design, he has few exclusive experiences, among which the one achieved with the Horm brand stands out, renowned for its ability to involve the big names in international architecture. In the past he also designed products for Fontana Arte.