Michel Abboud

Last updated
Michel Abboud
Born(1977-12-21)December 21, 1977
Alma mater Columbia University, GSAPP, New York
OccupationArchitect & Artist
Notable work Park51, 45 Park Place, 50 Lispenard, One at Palm, Langham Hotel, Unilux, Wave, Amchit Bay, Workshop,

Michel Abboud is an architect and artist based in New York. He is the founding principal of SOMA Architects, an architectural firm established in 2004 in New York City. Abboud has won the AIA Gold Medal and the James Beard award in 2015, [1] and is a two-time winner of the Architizer A+ award. [2]

Contents

In 2010, he was awarded the Park51 Islamic Cultural Center project, infamously dubbed the “Ground Zero Mosque”, with one journalist calling him ‘the most controversial architect the US has known'. [3] The project was ultimately shelved in favor of 45 Park Place, a 665-foot condominium tower also designed by Abboud. [4] [5] [6]

Projects

45 Park Place

Located in Tribeca, New York City, the 667-foot-tall (203 m) tower’s design is characterized by an "inside-out" process which changes the neighborhood's traditional loft into a vertical modern glass structure, and re-uses the full-floor units, including lofted 16-foot (4.9 m) ceilings, and an in-unit elevator. It has full-height glass windows which provide unobstructed, 360-degree views of the city. [7]

CALYPSO

CALYPSO is situated entirely in the sea along the coast of Jounieh Bay in North Lebanon. With only a lateral connection to land, the residential structure is able to withstand continuous wave impacts with heights of up to 18 feet (5.5 m) without incurring breakage. The structure's unique glass envelope is the first ever to be designed as wave-proof. The design received a World Architecture Design Award in 2019. [8]

Unilux

Hailed as a “marvel of both contemporary design and ingenious problem solving", [9] the Beirut-based showroom project was commissioned by Unilux Group. Given the challenge of working with a 7,000-square-foot (650 m2) space that was mostly underground. Abboud used the showroom's basement space to showcase lighting fixtures housed in individual niche-like wall displays from floor to ceiling. On the upper floor, Abboud used digital modeling software and a parametric design script to create an array of 1000 cubes, positioning them to create the impression of a rippling dynamic floor, walls and ceiling. The continuous, non-linear surfaces allow the ground floor space to appear larger than its originally shallow confines, while the interaction of light on the reflective cubes metaphorically reinforces the showroom's function as a provider of light. [10] [11]

WAVE

Due to its location on the corner of Beirut's Ashrafieh Mar Mitr quarter, the WAVE residential site faced a series of challenges due to sun exposure, solar overheating and privacy concerns. To mitigate these problems, Abboud and his team created a type of “second skin” for the structure, which acts as a screening mechanism by utilizing a horizontal louvered system. The structure's interactive parametric design allows the depth of the louvers to be controlled by an interior program based on the level of shading and privacy required. The louver becomes thinner with the need for less privacy or more sunlight, or deeper when more privacy or shading is desired. The effect of these dynamic, parametrically generated mechanisms gives the building exterior the appearance of having organic waves. The design for WAVE, also nicknamed “The W Residences” won Abboud an Architizer A+ award in 2017. [12]

One at Palm Jumeirah

Abboud broke records in the Middle East for his design of the most expensive structure ever to be built in Dubai. [13]

Other selected projects

Building/ProjectLocationDate
Amchit Bay Resort [14] Lebanon2013
The Carlton Hotel [15]


Beirut, Lebanon2008
Wave [16] Beirut, Lebanon2010
Nikki Beach Resort [17] Dammour, Lebanon2012
Bobo [18] Beirut, Lebanon2011
The Gate [19] Beirut, Lebanon2011
Castor [20] Beirut, Lebanon2011
Batrun Annex I & II [21] Batroun, Lebanon2005
Workshop Kitchen + Bar [22] Los Angeles, CA, US2019
Tartinery [23] New York, NY, US  2009
Yazuzu [24] Washington, DC, US2006
Naya [25] New York, NY, US  2007
Aura [26] Erbil, Kurdistan2011
50 Lispenard [27] New York, NY, US2012
93 Crosby Lofts [28] New York, NY, US2006
Gemini [29] Dubai, UAE
King Road Mall [30] Jeddah, Saudi Arabia2007
One at DIFC [31] Dubai, UAE2016
Dubai Creek HarborDubai, UAE2018
7 Times SquareNew York, NY, US  
Shaza Hotel Doha [32] Doha, Qatar2013
Langham Place Dubai [33] Dubai, UAE2013
Mayasem [34] Jeddah, Saudi Arabia2018
MarassiMarassi, Egypt2018
Beverly Hills private residenceBeverly Hills, California2019
Veli Athiri private resortQatar2018

Awards and recognition

OrganizationAward or RecognitionProjectDate
ArchitizerA+ Award [35] WAVE2017
ArchitizerA+ Award [36] Unilux2016
James Beard FoundationRestaurant Design Award [37] [38] Workshop Kitchen + Bar2015
Middle East ArchitectShortlist - Principal of the Year Award [39] 2015
Dwell MagazineTop 10 Best-Designed Restaurants in America [40] Workshop Kitchen + Bar2015
BisnowTop 10 Cutting-Edge Architects [41] 2015
International Property AwardsBest Mixed Use Architecture in Arabia [42] Aura2012
International Property AwardsBest Mixed Use Architecture in Iraq [42] Aura2012
International Property AwardsHighly Commended Architecture Multiple Residence [42] Nikki Beach2012
Restaurant and Bar Design AwardsCategory Winner [43] Workshop Kitchen + Bar2014
IAIR AwardsBest Company for Leadership, Architectural Design2014
REAL Estate AwardsFinest Specialized Project [44] Amchit Bay2014
World Interior News AwardsShortlist - Best Design Award [45] Unilux2015
World Interior News AwardsShortlist - Best Design Award [46] Workshop Kitchen + Bar2013
APRWorld Architecture & Design Award [47] CALYPSO2019

References

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  3. Raidy, Mary-Joe (January 2019). "Architectural Visions". Cedar Wings Magazine.
  4. World Trade Center Mosque and Community Center Design Unveiled Park51 Soma Architects Rendering - Gallery Page 3 – Inhabitat - Sustainable Design Innovation, Eco Architecture,...
  5. On paper, N.Y. Islamic center looks secular - US news - Life - Faith | NBC News
  6. The Architect of the Ground Zero ‘Mosque’ is a Lebanese Christian | The New York Observer
  7. "45 Park Place Soho Properties". architectmagazine.com. Retrieved 4 April 2019.
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  9. "SOMA Architects | Unilux Group Lighting Showroom in Beirut". arthitectural.com. Retrieved 4 April 2019.
  10. SOMA Architects (2015-01-16). Unilux by Michel Abboud for SOMA Architects (video). Retrieved 2019-03-31.
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  13. "A look inside Dubai's 'most expensive apartment' building - in pictures". The National. Retrieved 2019-03-31.
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  22. Workshop Kitchen & Bar, Palm Springs | We Heart; Lifestyle & Design Magazine [ permanent dead link ]
  23. "Modern Restaurant Design : Tartinery Nolita by Michel Abboud | Home Design and Decor". Archived from the original on 2016-03-05. Retrieved 2017-05-11.
  24. Uffelen, Chris (2012). Light in architecture (1st ed.). Salenstein, Switzerland: Braun. ISBN   9783037680926.
  25. IDine® - Naya - Reviews, Hours, Menu, Map - New York, New York 10022
  26. Urban Lab Global Cities Post • Aura Erbil Animation | SOMA Architects Aura [ permanent dead link ]
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  33. "Langham Place Hotel & Residences". www.protenders.com. Retrieved 2019-04-01.
  34. "Mayasem Masterplan | SOMA Architects". Archinect. Retrieved 2019-04-01.
  35. "Architizer A+ Awards honor best new buildings". CNN Style. 2017-05-11. Retrieved 2019-04-01.
  36. "UNILUX". Architizer. Retrieved 2019-04-01.
  37. "Workshop Kitchen + Bar Soma". architectmagazine.com. Retrieved 4 April 2019.
  38. "Palm Springs - architecture | Workshop Kitchen + Bar Becomes Palm Springs' 1st James Beard Award Winner for Design". Palm Springs Life. 2015-05-17. Retrieved 2019-04-01.
  39. "Shortlist announced for Middle East Architect Awards 2015". Commercial Interior Design. Retrieved 2019-04-01.
  40. Hopping, Luke (2015). "The 10 Best-Designed Restaurants in America". Dwell.com. Archived from the original on 27 October 2017. Retrieved 4 April 2019. Alt URL
  41. Wong, Kathleen. "Starchitect Fever: Top 10 Cutting-Edge Architects You Should Know About". bisnow.com. Retrieved 2019-04-01.
  42. 1 2 3 "Arabia 2012 | The International Property Awards". The International Property Awards. 2012-10-19. Retrieved 2019-04-01.
  43. Wiedemann, Julius (2014). The Restaurant & Bar Design Awards. Taschen. pp. 75–76. ISBN   383654668X.
  44. "Soma's beach project wins top Lebanese award". www.tradearabia.com. Retrieved 2019-04-01.
  45. "Shortlist announced for the World Interiors News Awards 2015". Dezign Ark (Beta). 2019-01-12. Retrieved 2019-04-01.
  46. "Winners of the 2013 Restaurant & Bar Design Awards". Archinect. Retrieved 2019-04-01.
  47. "A quirky hotel in Spain, a futuristic residence in Russia, and a slick Toyota showroom in Japan are among the World Architecture & Design Awards 2019 winners". Archinect. Retrieved 2019-04-01.