Gensler dreamed of being an architect since he was 5 or 6 years old. "I have no idea why," he recalled in an interview with the San Francisco-based Nob Hill Gazette. — I played with "builder" blocks, Erector Set constructors (the same one, with metal parts from which construction "technique" is easily assembled. — Ed.) and Lincoln Logs ("Lincoln Logs"). I just really like buildings. Even later, I realized how much I love making interiors, because they are really tangential to people's lives."
Arthur "Art" Gensler, 1935–2021
Billionaire Arthur Gensler Jr. or Art Gensler was born in 1935 in Brooklyn, in the family of a telephone company employee and a ceiling tile seller. He grew up in West Hartford, Connecticut, and was educated at Cornell University's College of Architecture, Art, and Planning under Romaldo Jurgola, Tom Canfield, and Dean McCasey.
Art Gensler in the northern wing of the exhibition center named after George R. Moscone (Moscone Center), at the completion of construction in 1992, San Francisco.
Photo by Eric Luse for the San Francisco Chronicle
After graduating from university, on the advice of his mentor, architectural critic Henry Gill, he moved to California, where he joined the architectural office of William Wurster. He was attracted by the modern architecture there, especially the work of Gordon Drake.
In addition to Wurster's office, he also worked at such offices as Bernards, Emmons, playing a key role in establishing the design standards for the BART - Bay Area Rapid Transit - system of high-speed electric trains in the San Francisco Bay Area. And in 1965, together with his wife Drusilla "Drew" Gensler and James Follett, he founded his own firm, M. Arthur Gensler Jr. & Associates, Inc., which grew into a world-renowned practice with the simple name of Gensler.
Art Gensler and James "Jim" Follett at work in their office, San Francisco, late 60s. Courtesy of Gensler
The firm began designing corporate office interiors in San Francisco skyscrapers designed, for example, by Skidmore, Owings & Merrill (SOM). They worked on the 56-story 237-meter-tall Bank of America Building (renamed the skyscraper at 555 California Street) and later the 121-meter Alcoa Building (now One Maritime Plaza).
CityCentre mixed-use complex in Las Vegas, designed by Gensler
The practice's first office was located at 555 Clay Street in San Francisco. Art started his business by renting a room and four desks from Henry Hill Architect, one draftsman and $200 in the bank. "From the beginning, my goal was to have six employees and do garage renovations. But what did I know then?", he once admitted. Subsequently, the office began to expand throughout the United States. In 1972, an office was opened in Houston to develop Pennzoil Company offices, and in 1979 - in New York. Later it was time for overseas expansion - a branch in London, then in Japan, Hong Kong and finally in Shanghai in 2002.
Art Gensler had his first office in San Francisco in this building
Gensler is known primarily for his large-scale projects. For example, he designed the 632-meter high Shanghai Tower, the second tallest skyscraper in the world after the Burj Khalifa in Dubai.
Shanghai Tower. Architecture: Gensler. Photo: Blackstation
Gensler's firm also designed offices for the New York Times, The Washington Post, the London Stock Exchange, the interior spaces of the Salesforce office tower (headquarters of the American company — the developer of the CRM system of the same name) and the interiors of the new US embassy in London. Recent projects include the renovation and expansion of New York's MoMA and the expansion of the Eagle County Regional Airport in Colorado.
A multi-level newsroom at the New York Times headquarters in New York. Interior design — Art Gensler
The multifunctional shopping and entertainment center Arizona Center in Phoenix. Gensler reconstructed the facility, which was built back in 1990. © Bill Timmerman
Art's most "long-lasting" infrastructure project was the reconstruction of the San Francisco International Airport, which lasted as long as 35 years. Another equally significant project was the renovation of JetBlue's T5 terminal at JFK in 2004. By the way, it is estimated that Gensler's clients include 36 of the 100 largest public companies in America, 8 of the 10 largest commercial banks, and 13 of the 25 largest global investment securities companies.
Gensler has worked on the modernization and expansion of San Francisco Airport for nearly four decades. Photo by Bruce Damonte
Terminal 2 of San Francisco International Airport. Photo: Bruce Damonte
Terminal 5 (JetBlue T5) of the international airport named after John F. Kennedy, New York. Photo: MAX TOUHEY
Inside the remodeled JetBlue T5 at JFK Airport @Nic Lehoux
Art was once "fired" by Steve Jobs himself. The fact is that Gensler contracted to design the first 100 stores for Apple, but a little later they began to cooperate with Microsoft, and then Jobs refused the firm's services. "Steve heard about it and called me and said, 'This is Steve Jobs.' You are released!". "After Steve passed away, Apple hired us again," Art recalled.
Apple's flagship store on Regent Street in London. The interior design was developed in 2004 by Art Gensler and was recently updated by the office of another design guru, Sir Norman Foster
Gensler left the post of the head of the firm in 2010, but continued to act as an adviser. Despite the fact that he was diagnosed with a serious lung disease 18 months ago, he worked until the last day. Art Gensler died quietly in his sleep at his family home in Mill Valley, Marin County, at the age of 86. He is survived by four sons and ten grandchildren. With his departure, the world of architecture lost another giant.
