Architecture According to Holl

Steven Holl may be known for his innovative use of materials, but his award-winning designs have deliberately avoided a signature style

by Reena Jana

Holl is currently completing a number of ambitious projects in China. One is Linked Hybrid, a "green" complex of 750 apartments in Beijing. It features geothermal heating and cooling systems and recycled grey water. courtesy of Steven Holl Architects

For the headquarters of China Vanke Co., Ltd., Holl has designed an eco-friendly "horizontal skyscraper" that also houses apartments and a hotel. courtesy of Steven Holl Architects

Holl's addition to the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art in Kansas City (MO.) features five separate glass-called structures, rather than building onto the existing neoclassical building. © Andy Ryan

Steven Holl's design for the School of Art and Art History at the University of Iowa in Iowa City, features a velvety Core-Ten steel. It's a material that is half the cost of aluminum, but packs a visual punch. © Andy Ryan

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Light pours through the windows of a conference room in the sleek, industrial-chic offices of architect Steven Holl, located in a former warehouse on the western edge of Manhattan. He has finished talking about his list of "wonders of the world"—buildings such as Rockefeller Center in New York; the Johnson Wax headquarters in Racine, Wis.; and the Salk Institute for Biological Studies in La Jolla, Calif., that have most inspired his work—and has moved on to describe the work itself.

Perhaps it's the sunlight, but Holl's intense blue eyes seem to match his bright cerulean shirt as he focuses on a large glass bottle of Pellegrino, a coffee cup, and a stainless-steel creamer on the table—props he is moving around as he animatedly describes a complex he's completing in Shenzhen, China. An ambitious project, it is an eco-friendly "horizontal skyscraper," as long as the Empire State Building is tall, and encompassing a hotel, condominiums, and corporate offices.

"The project has three parts, but they don't quite equate or work together," Holl says, still moving the objects. "So I said, let's just put them all together and make one long building. And because Shenzhen is tropical, I thought, shade is nice." The idea of creating shade inspired Holl to design the massive structure on stilt-like columns, so the building itself would provide a giant canopy, cooling pedestrians passing beneath.

Respect for History

Holl, the subject of the new book Steven Holl: Architecture Spoken (Rizzoli) is discussing one of a number of adventurous buildings that he's designing in China. It's a mixed-use development that will house the headquarters of China Vanke, the largest publicly listed real estate developer in the country and a company that's gaining global attention among investors.

Last year, General Electric (GE) announced the company would invest $20 million to become the sole strategic investor in the newly formed CITIC Capital Vanke China Property Development Fund—and enter the booming Chinese real estate market. "Vanke wanted to make it known that this is Vanke's place on earth" and a bold, brand-building statement that conveys a forward-thinking attitude, Holl explains.

While Holl might not qualify as a "starchitect"—along the lines of Frank Gehry—he is a successful designer who has garnered numerous awards and critical praise. He is known for experimenting with new materials, often to save costs, and for his respectfully modern approach to historical renovations.

The Washington state native arrived in New York in the 1970s after studying at the Architectural Assn. in London alongside Zaha Hadid and other well-known builders. He founded Steven Holl Architects in 1976.

Holl gained attention in the late 1980s for Pace Collection Showroom, a furniture retailer on Manhattan's Upper East Side, where he experimented with industrial materials such as copper, steel, and glass. By 1989 he was featured in an exhibition at the prestigious Museum of Modern Art in New York.

In the 1990s he drew raves for another experiment with industrial materials, his curvy, elegant design for the Kiasma Museum of Contemporary Art in Helsinki, Finland, completed in 1998, and Holl's most recognized building to date. The structure features translucent walls, made from an industrial glass, that look like they're glowing from within when lit at night. While these designs might seem to exemplify trendy industrial chic, Holl says that his choice of materials is usually based on economic and/or eco-friendly reasons, not simple stylistic flair.

Man of Steel

Holl is quick to cite the use of Core-Ten steel for the exterior design of the School of Art & Art History at the University of Iowa in Iowa City, which opened in September, 2006, as a prime example of how material can result in a more cost-effective project.

"I had to present my design to the board of regents at state level in two minutes. This was a $15 million project," Holl recalls.