Lego burj khalifa - 21008 Instruction Manual

Adrian D. Smith

With notable supertall skyscrapers such as the Buri Khalifa, 

Jin Mao Tower and the Trump International Hotel & Tower 

to his name, Adrian D. Smith is one of the most recognized 
and respected architects in the world today. 

 

Born in Chicago in 1944, Adrian moved to the 

West Coast as a young child and was brought up in San 
Clemente, California. Growing up next to the ocean 
and beach instilled in him a respect for the relationship 
between a building and its environment. And this “sense of 
place”, as he described it, would later play a major part in 
his work as an architect. 

 

After studying at Texas A&M University, a chance 

encounter back in California led him to a apply for a job with 

the renowned architect company, Skidmore, Owings & Merrill 

(SOM), in Chicago. In 1967, Adrian began his thirty nine year 
career with the company working on the John Hancock 
Center. From 1980 to 2003 Adrian was a Design Partner in the 
Chicago office of SOM and a Consulting Design Partner from 

2004 to 2006. Adrian also served as the SOM’s Chief Executive 
Officer (1993 to 1995). He was the Chairman for the SOM 

Foundation (1990 to 1995) which serves to recognize and 
nurture students in architecture, design, urban design and 
structural engineering.

 

After nearly four decades with Skimore, Owings & 

Merrill (1967–2006), Smith left to found his own firm 

(Adrian Smith + Gordon Gill Architecture) with Gordon Gill 
and Robert Forest.
 

Projects under his design direction have won over 90 

major awards for design excellence, including five international  
awards, eight National AIA awards, 22 Chicago AIA awards, 
and two ULI Awards 
for Excellence. Smith’s  
work at SOM has been 
featured in major 
museums  in the United 
States, South America, 
Europe, Asia and the 
Middle East. He is a 
Senior Fellow of the 
Design Futures Council.

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23/12/2010   12:47 PM