10 richest architects in the world

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Popular international online resource about celebrities TheRichest posted TOP-10 richest architects in the world.

 

With the acceleration of the growth of urbanization, the bank accounts of designers of landmark buildings are also growing. Of course, not all of them, but the most famous - those for whom the special term starchitects was coined and for whom developers are lining up in order to increase their chances of obtaining a positive decision on large-scale construction from municipalities, to receive financing or to increase the value of their buildings with such a trump card in their pocket .

The average annual salary of an architect, according to The Richest, is about $80, while stars earn ten to twenty times that.

10. David Ajayi (1966) — $10 million

Sir David Ajayi. Photo: Francis Kokoroko

The Ghanaian-British architect's popularity has skyrocketed since he was knighted in 2017. Sir David Ajayi has won several awards for his environmentally conscious projects, including the National Museum of African American History and Culture. The main source of his income now is the design of public buildings.

9. Maya Lin (1952) — $12 million

Maya Lin. Photo: Bruce K. Huff

Architect and sculptor Maya Lin knows how to push boundaries and shape a new architectural vision. In her projects, Lin reinterprets traditional Chinese architecture, among which she spent her childhood. The most iconic works of the architect are the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, DC, and the Civil Rights Memorial.

8. Kunjiang Yu (1963) — $15 million

Kunjiang Y. Photo source: resite.org

The founder and president of Turenscape, Kunjiang Yu, has turned his studio into one of the best in China. Yu has influenced the shaping of urban planning in China in the past two decades. Most of its projects are commissioned by the government, the most famous being Qinhuangdao Red Ribbon, Haikou Fengxiang Park and Qiuzhou Lumin Park.

7. Bjarke Ingels (1974) — $17 million

Bjarke Ingels. Photo: KT Auleta

Ingels is originally from Denmark. In a fairly short period of time, he managed to become a successful architect, designing all over the world, as evidenced by his own capital of $17 million. The Bjarke Ingels Group (BIG) office, one of the largest on the market, has such multi-apartment residential projects as VM Houses and Mountain Dwellings.

6. Renzo Piano (1937) — $25 million

Renzo Piano. Photo source: facebook.com/RenzoPianopage

Renzo Piano was born in Italy, his father was a builder, which contributed to gaining practical experience from a young age. Pritzker laureate (1998). Piano Projects: Hermes Maison in Tokyo, Georges Pompidou Center in Paris, Morgan Library in New York and NEMO Museum in Amsterdam.

5. Zaha Hadid (1950–2016) — $95 million

Zaha Hadid. Photo: Emily Andersen

Even five years after his death, the earned capital does not allow Zaza Hadid to fall below the 5th line of the world financial rating among architects. The Iraqi-British architect was a Pritzker laureate (2004), twice awarded the prestigious Stirling Prize - in 2010 and 2011, and in 2012 she was knighted as a "lady". Hadid's projects include the London Aquatics Center and the Galaxy SOHO Complex in Beijing. The office of Zaha Hadid Architects continues to work actively even after the death of its founder.

4. Santiago Calatrava (1951) — $100 million

Santiago Calatrava. Photo: Miguel Rajmil

Spanish architect and sculptor Calatrava made his fortune through his many talents. Among the architect's famous sculptural bridges and buildings are the World Trade Center Transportation Hub in New York, the Turning Torso tower in Malmö, the City of Arts and Sciences in Valencia, the Milwaukee Art Museum and the Hunt Hill Bridge in Texas.

3. Moshe Safdie (1938) — $100 million

Moshe Safdie. Photo: Michal Ronnen Safdie

Moshe Safdie's master's thesis entitled Habitat 67 launched his international career. Habitat 67, a residential complex consisting of prefabricated houses, was built in Montreal and became the first project of his company Safdie Architects. Safdie has designed notable buildings, including the Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art, the National Gallery of Canada, and the Yad Vashem Holocaust Museum in Jerusalem.

2. Frank Gehry (1929) - $100 million

Frank Gehry. Photo: Erik Carter

One of the oldest practicing architects. He made his fortune during seven decades of practice in various countries, mainly in Europe and the United States. Pritzker laureate (1989). Projects: Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao, Experience Music in Seattle and Walt Disney Concert Hall in Los Angeles.

1. Norman Foster (1935) — $240 million

Norman Foster. Photo: Weston Wells

This is not the first year Foster has topped the list of the world's richest architects. He founded his firm Foster + Partners in 1967. Pritzker laureate (1999). The most famous projects: Citic headquarters in Hangzhou (China), Swiss Tower RE in London, Hearst Tower in New York. The Zayed National Museum project in Abu Dhabi, the completion of which is scheduled for 2022, promises to be the most innovative in the Foster + Partners portfolio. In 2017, he founded the Norman Foster Foundation to "promote interdisciplinary thinking and research to help new generations of architects, designers and urban planners envision the future."

All architects from this ten come from not the most prosperous and wealthy families, who had to overcome various barriers (for some - gender, for someone - racial, for someone - social) to achieve great heights and success in their profession. An inspiring example for many who are just starting their way in architecture.