Helmut Jahn facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Helmut Jahn
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| Born | January 4, 1940 Zirndorf, Bavaria, Germany
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| Died | May 8, 2021 (aged 81) |
| Nationality | German |
| Education | Technical University of Munich Illinois Institute of Technology |
| Occupation | Architect |
Helmut Jahn (born January 4, 1940 – died May 8, 2021) was a famous German-American architect. He designed many well-known buildings around the world. Some of his most famous projects include the Sony Center in Berlin, Germany, and the Messeturm in Frankfurt, Germany. He also designed the James R. Thompson Center in Chicago and Suvarnabhumi Airport in Bangkok, Thailand.
His later projects included a tall residential building called 50 West Street in New York City (2016). He also designed the ThyssenKrupp Test Tower in Rottweil, Germany (2017).
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Life and career of Helmut Jahn
Helmut Jahn was born on January 4, 1940, in Zirndorf, a town near Nuremberg, Germany. His father, Wilhelm Anton Jahn, was a special education teacher. His mother, Karolina Wirth, was a homemaker. Helmut grew up seeing his city being rebuilt after it was heavily damaged during World War II.
He studied architecture at the Technical University of Munich from 1960 to 1965. After graduating, he worked with Peter C. von Seidlein for a year. In 1966, he moved to Chicago, USA. There, he continued his architecture studies at the Illinois Institute of Technology. He earned a Master's degree in 1967.
Joining Murphy/Jahn
In 1967, Jahn joined an architecture company called C. F. Murphy Associates. He quickly became an important leader there. By 1973, he was the Executive Vice President and Director of Planning and Design. In 1981, he took full control of the company. He then renamed it Murphy/Jahn, even though Charles Francis Murphy had already retired.
Helmut Jahn's passing
Helmut Jahn died on May 8, 2021. He was riding his bicycle near his home in Campton Hills, Illinois, a suburb of Chicago, when he was involved in a collision.
Architectural style and influences
Helmut Jahn was inspired by the famous architect Ludwig Mies van der Rohe. However, Jahn did not want to simply copy the modernism that Mies van der Rohe's followers used. In 1978, Jahn became part of a group called the Chicago Seven. This group of architects wanted to explore new ideas in design.
Jahn's style changed over time. He moved from the simple, clean lines of modernism to a more postmodern look. This new style often included high-tech elements. He became very well-known in 1985 with his design for the James R. Thompson Center in Chicago. This building was so striking that people nicknamed him "Flash Gordon" because of its futuristic look. Besides its main office in Chicago, his company also had offices in Berlin and Shanghai.
On October 26, 2012, Helmut Jahn changed the name of his company again. It became simply JAHN.
Notable completed projects
Helmut Jahn designed many buildings around the world. Here is a partial list of some of his completed projects:
- 1974 Kemper Arena, Kansas City, Missouri
- 1976 Auraria Learning Resources Center, Denver, Colorado
- 1982 Chicago Board of Trade Addition, Chicago
- 1985 James R. Thompson Center, Chicago
- 1987 United Airlines Terminal 1 at O'Hare International Airport, Chicago
- 1987 One Liberty Place, Philadelphia
- 1990 Bank of America Tower, Jacksonville, Florida
- 1991 Messeturm, Frankfurt, Germany
- 2000 Sony Center, Berlin, Germany
- 2003 Deutsche Post Tower, Bonn, Germany
- 2006 Suvarnabhumi Airport, Bangkok, Thailand
- 2011 Joe and Rika Mansueto Library, Chicago, USA
- 2016 50 West Street, New York City, USA
- 2017 ThyssenKrupp Test Tower, Rottweil, Germany
Interestingly, a project Jahn designed for his hometown of Nuremberg was not built. Local citizens voted against it in 1996.
Select awards and recognition
Helmut Jahn received many awards for his architectural work:
- 1991 – Named one of the "Ten Most Influential Living American Architects" by the American Institute of Architects.
- 1994 – Awarded the Officer's Cross of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany. This is a high honor in Germany.
- 2002 – Received the Institute Honour Award from the American Institute of Architects for his work on the Sony Center.
- 2005 – His firm, Murphy/Jahn, Inc., received the AIA Architecture Firm Award.
- 2012 – Honored with the AIA Chicago Lifetime Achievement Award.
Personal life and hobbies
Helmut Jahn loved yachting, which is sailing in a yacht. In the late 1990s, he owned at least three yachts, all named Flash Gordon. This was also his nickname! In 1995, his yacht Flash Gordon 2 won the annual Chicago Yacht Club Race to Mackinac. This is the oldest freshwater yacht race in the world. In 1997, Flash Gordon 3 won the Admiral's Cup, a major international sailing competition. In 2017, his Flash Gordon 6 team won its third North American Championship in a row.
He married Deborah Ann Lampe, an interior designer, in December 1970. Their son, Evan, was born in 1978.
Images for kids
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The Post Tower (Postal Tower), Bonn
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Exhibition "Process/Progress" Nuremberg, Germany 2012-2013
See also
In Spanish: Helmut Jahn para niños
