Morris Adjmi Architects

Morris Adjmi Architects is a New York City based architecture and interior design firm that provides design services to corporate, commercial and residential clients.

Morris Adjmi, founder and principal of Morris Adjmi Architects, began his career working with the Italian architect Aldo Rossi in 1981 after obtaining his Masters of Architecture degree from Tulane University. In 1986, Adjmi partnered with Rossi and opened Studio di Architettura in New York City. They collaborated on numerous international projects including the Hotel Il Palazzo in Fukuoka, Japan, Disney’s Celebration Office Complex in Orlando, Florida, the ABC Headquarters in Burbank, and the Scholastic Headquarters in New York City.

Adjmi established his own design firm in 1997 after a successful ten year partnership with Rossi. Morris Adjmi Architects, which also goes by the 'MA', has developed an identity as an office that creates architecture composed of clear contemporary forms that are inspired by context and history. As a matter of process, MA focuses on being site specific and relating to the specific context of a site and its surrounding buildings, both now and historically. Their attempt is to recognize the elements or essence of what makes a space unique, and channel that element through their architecture. Adjmi’s background also contributes to his design sensibility. Growing up in New Orleans, he learned an appreciation for historic architecture and a reverence for history, but also an interest in continuing the spirit of architecture and not necessarily mimicking the exact style and details. In a recent speech about his work in New York's Meat Packing District, he said, "It was really about understanding what makes that architecture relevant and what is the vernacular. How we can continue that tradition and build on that tradition, without copying it verbatim?” Adjmi believes that there are many ways to approach contextual architecture, but he also believes that it is important to make buildings that are new. This can be seen in some of his more recent projects, which attempt to rethink the traditional uses of materials in a way that is both modern and integrated into the historical context. Also incorporated into their design is a deep rooting in sustainability, which is evident in their use of design elements such as green roofs, living walls, and adhering to LEED guidelines.

MA's work, which mainly focuses on New York City based projects, includes commercial, office, and residential buildings primarily in Manhattan and Brooklyn. The firm recently completed two buildings for the NYU School of Law, one of which included the restoration of the historic Provincetown Playhouse. The firm also has several projects based in the Historic Gansevoort Market District, including a building that sits directly over the new High Line Park just as it intersects 14th Street. Other built work in Manhattan include buildings in Tribeca, SoHo, and the Ladies' Mile Historic District. The office has also completed a number of commercial buildings and hotels in Florida (see Celebration, FL), as well as private residences in the Bahamas (see Albany, New Providence). MA's work has been covered in numerous publications, and Adjmi has edited two books on Aldo Rossi. Adjmi is a member of the American Institute of Architects.

Selected Projects

• 408 Greenwich Street
• Prudential Center
• Theory Building
• Scholastic Building
• High Line Building

External links

• www.ma.com