Vishaan Chakrabarti of Practice for Architecture and Urbanism | Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum in Cleveland | Improving the Work of a Legend | Part 2
Courtesy of Practice for Architecture and Urbanism
Improving the Work of a Legend
Today we will be speaking with Vishaan Chakrabarti, a licensed architect and the founder of the Practice for Architecture and Urbanism (PAU). His professional portfolio is diverse, expanding from creating a master plan for the surrounding area of Michigan Central Station in Detroit to creating a social housing neighborhood in East New York. In this week’s episode, we will be speaking to Vishaan about his latest project for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland, originally designed by I.M. Pei. His firm has brought its vision for creating sustainable and equitable designs to this project in order to create more accessible spaces. We will also be discussing how his firm's design will seamlessly integrate with legendary architect I.M. Pei’s geometric forms and shimmering glass pyramids.
The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame is located on Lake Erie and has been an essential driver for the local economy. It was no surprise that after securing a plot of land that the institution would immediately start looking towards expansion and renovation. From all across the world, twenty-two leading architects submitted their proposals and eventually, eight were shortlisted. Vishaan’s firm was selected as the winning design -- a 50,000-square-foot triangular building made of steel. Join us on this week’s episode as we learn more about Vishaan’s journey as well as how his firm is dedicated to crafting a careful balance of the cutting edge and the conservative.
“We are trying our best to honor his legacy while understanding that the building, the genre of rock and roll, and the times we live in have moved past that moment. This sense that working with a historical artifact, whether it’s a landmark or a building designed by a very famous architect and how you layer, as opposed to conjuring the object out of thin air.”
Courtesy of Practice for Architecture and Urbanism
About Vishaan Chakrabarti
Vishaan Chakrabarti is a licensed architect and the author of two books, A Country of Cities: A Manifesto for an Urban America and NYC 2040: Housing the Next One Million New Yorkers. Previously, he held senior roles at SHoP Architects and New York City Department of City Planning. Vishaan also serves on the board of the Architectural League of New YOrk and the Regional Planning Association. Vishaan lectures internationally and has made several media appearances on CBS, MSNBC and NPR. He holds a Master of Architecture degree from the University of California, Berkeley, a Master of City Planning degree from MIT, and dual bachelor’s degrees in art history and engineering from Cornell University.
Courtesy of Practice for Architecture and Urbanism
Episode Timestamps
2:10 – Let’s talk about your firm’s renovation of the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.
7:12 – I think for previous generations, there's the idea that a successful architect was the amazing soloist that everyone listened to. And now it feels much more that they're not the star themselves – it's actually the team or the orchestra that's the star.
14:43 – Could you talk through what specifically the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame was looking to accomplish in this renovation and then the major scope elements that you delivered in response to that?
24:30 – During the course of the project, you've become much more familiar with the legacy of I.M. Pei and him as a person. What would you say are your strongest impressions of him now at this point in your design process?
29:28 – Were there any other tools that you have at your disposal and understanding the designer and his intent in that duration of that building?
38:54 – How would you want I.M. Pei to react to your renovation if he had the opportunity to walk in through your work when you're done?
Connect with Vishaan Chakrabarti:
Courtesy of Practice for Architecture and Urbanism
About your host:
Atif Qadir is the Founder & CEO of Commonplace, a technology company making it easy for commercial real estate professionals to find and use the $100B of real estate incentives given out every year in the US.
His work has been covered by Technology Review, The Real Deal, Commercial Observer, and Propmodo. He’s also a frequent speaker on the future of buildings and cities on popular industry podcasts and at conferences, including this past year at the Commercial Observer National DEI Conference, Yale AREA Conference, Columbia Real Estate Symposium, Open Data Week NYC and Austin Design Week.
About Commonplace
Commonplace is a founding sponsor of American Building. It is a 100% minority-owned, real estate technology company founded in 2020 to make financing social impact development projects across the US easier. It is funded by venture capital investors Hometeam Ventures, Park West Asset Management, New York Ventures and Shadow Ventures.
About Michael Graves
The world-famous design firm Michael Graves is also a founding sponsor of American Building. Its namesake, the iconoclastic designer Michael Graves, FAIA was a fierce advocate for people-centric design. His work defines a generation of American architecture and includes the Portland Building, the Humana Building and the Denver Public Library. The 1st season of American Building was filmed live at The Warehouse, his historic home in Princeton, New Jersey:
Rate, Review, & Subscribe on Apple Podcasts
Did you love this episode? Let us know by rating and review our show on Apple Podcasts. It’s easy - simply click this link, click on Listen on Apple Podcasts, scroll to the bottom of the page, and select “Write a Review”. Let us know what you liked best about the episode, and what others can expect when they listen to our show.
While you’re at it, consider subscribing to American Building. When you subscribe, you can guarantee you never miss a conversation with one our renowned designers, architects, and developers. Subscribe now!
