The discussion presented here is synthesized from several in-house roundtables moderated by Roger Duffy, a design partner in the New York office, and John Durschinger, an associate in the same office.
What's in a Name?
Living with a legacy as potent as that of SOM is no easy feat. Living up to it is even tougher. The rejuvenating cycles found in everything from ecosystems to economics can also be found at SOM, where design is once again a priority.
The late 1970s and much of the 1980s saw a stretch of uneven work at SOM, which diminished the reputation of a firm long at the forefront of American modernism. SOM’s early iconic projects, many of which are presented as precursors in this volume, captured the energetic inventiveness of the postwar era, but some of its later work proved less focused, caught up in the developer-driven environment of the marketplace. The firm—and its name—had steadfastly reflected the times.
But it has also withstood the test of time. Recent projects, many slated for competition in the early years of the twenty-first century, indicate a reemergence of formal and technological experimentation, a recognition by the firm’s leadership that its collaborative, studio-based organization and multidisciplinary resources can be harnessed in the name of good architecture. What had been for many years a monolithic organization, a machine-like entity that churned out competent work with great consistency, is now recognizing the strength of its diversity. There is no revolution underway at SOM, but an evolutionary moment is in the making, catalyzed by a vibrant economy and a commitment to reestablishing the firm’s reputation as a progressive force in the design profession.
With high-profile projects under construction and on the boards, from new international airport terminals in San Francisco and Tel Aviv to the redevelopment of Penn Station in New York, SOM is again planted firmly in the public realm. The firm is also designing several mixed-used projects, financial institutions, and commercial towers in metropolitan areas around the world. Cities, after all, hold many of the firm’s iconic buildings and so it is appropriate that the most significant opportunity for renewal at SOM lies in the urban landscape.
With offices in the nine cities worldwide and an international staff of 850, the machine is slowly being transformed into a community of distinct voices, names and faces, some of whom weigh in on design and practice issues on the following pages.
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