Michel Mossessian facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Michel Mossessian
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Michel Mossessian in 2014
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| Born | 11 November 1959 (age 60) |
| Nationality | French |
| Alma mater | École nationale supérieure des Beaux-Arts (Paris-Belleville) Cooper Union School of Architecture Harvard Graduate School of Design |
| Occupation | Architect |
| Awards | MIPIM AR Future Projects Award Holcim Award |
| Practice | Mossessian Architecture |
| Buildings | King's Cross, London, UK Exchange House, London, UK 1 Fleet Place, London, UK Vila Olímpica, Barcelona, Spain Five Merchant Square, London, UK NATO Headquarters, Brussels, Belgium ExxonMobil Technology Centre, Shanghai, China |
| Projects | Musheireb - Heart of Doha, Doha, Qatar (in progress) Place Lalla Yeddouna, Fez, Morocco (December 2013) |
Michel Mossessian (born 11 November 1959) is a French architect. He is from Armenian background and works in London, UK. An architect designs buildings and spaces.
Contents
Michel Mossessian's Journey in Architecture
Learning to Design Buildings
Michel Mossessian studied architecture at the École nationale supérieure des Beaux-Arts in Paris, France. He also explored philosophy there. Later, he went to the Cooper Union School of Architecture in New York City. He then earned his master's degree at Harvard Graduate School of Design in Cambridge, Massachusetts. He even studied artificial intelligence at MIT.
Starting His Career
Mossessian worked as a Senior Designer for a big architecture firm called Skidmore, Owings & Merrill (SOM). He worked in their Chicago and London offices. While at SOM, he helped design the new NATO headquarters in Brussels, Belgium. This important building was finished in 2017.
His Own Architecture Studio
In 2005, Michel Mossessian started his own company, Mossessian & Partners. He is the main architect there. One of his first designs in London was the Carmine Building, also known as 5 Merchant Square. This is a 15-story office building in Paddington Basin. The building was completed in 2009.
By 2010, his company had finished several major projects:
- 5 Merchant Square in Paddington, London.
- The ExxonMobil Headquarters in Shanghai, China.
- A private home in Sorède, France.
In 2011, his company won a global competition. They were chosen to redesign an old part of the city of Fes, Morocco. This project is still being built. In 2015, the company changed its name to Mossessian Architecture.
Since then, Mossessian Architecture has designed many exciting projects:
- Four parts of a big city renewal project in Doha, Qatar, called Msheireb.
- Two buildings in the King's Cross area of Central London.
- They won a global competition to design a museum about the Islamic Faith in Makkah, Saudi Arabia.
Michel Mossessian also gives talks at architecture schools and cultural places. He is a visiting professor at Imperial College London. He teaches about how building design can affect people's well-being. He also helps organize events to encourage new ideas in the architecture world.
How He Designs Buildings
Michel Mossessian is known for using new ideas and technologies in his work. He uses a special method called the "Black Box method" for every project. This helps everyone involved share the same vision from the start.
He is very interested in "cultural localism." This means he designs buildings that fit in with the local culture and traditions. He believes architecture should be about more than just the buildings themselves. He works with groups like UNESCO to create buildings that respect and celebrate local cultures.
Important Projects by Michel Mossessian
Here are some of the notable projects Michel Mossessian has worked on:
- S1 building in King's Cross, London – under construction
- S2 building in King's Cross, London – under construction
- Place Lalla Yeddouna in Fes, Morocco – under construction
- Msheireb development in Doha, Qatar – under construction
- 5 Merchant Square (Marks and Spencers Headquarters), London – completed 2010
- ExxonMobil Building in Shanghai, China – completed 2010
- NATO headquarters in Brussels, Belgium – with Skidmore, Owings & Merrill
- Villa Olympica Barcelona in Barcelona, Spain – with Skidmore, Owings & Merrill
Awards and Recognition
Michel Mossessian and his team have won many awards for their designs:
- 5 Merchant Square
- MIPIM Special Tribute to the Country of Honour, UK
- LEAF Commercial Building of the Year 2012
- Place Lalla Yeddouna
- Winner of 2014 AR Future Project Cultural Regeneration Award
- Winner of 2011 Holcim Awards for Urban Precinct Reconstruction & Rehabilitation
- World Architecture Festival Cultural Regeneration Award 2013
- Msheireb Doha Qatar
- Overall Winner 2012 AR Future Projects Awards
- Winner of 2011 AR Future Project Sustainability Award
- World Architecture Festival Public Realm Award 2013
- Competition Wins
- 2016 Makkah Museum, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia - 1st prize winning entry
- 2014 King’s Cross Argent, S1 and S2 block - Winning entry
- 2011 Place Lalla Yedouna, Fez - 1st prize winning entry
Images for kids
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5 Merchant Square in Paddington Basin, London, UK
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5 Merchant Square London, UK
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Place Lalla Yeddouna World Heritage Site, Medina of Fez, Morocco
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S1 Building, King's Cross, London, UK
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S2 Building, King's Cross, London, UK
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NATO Headquarters, Bruxelles, Belgium
