Michel Mossessian (born 11 November 1959) is a
French
French may refer to:
* Something of, from, or related to France
** French language, which originated in France
** French people, a nation and ethnic group
** French cuisine, cooking traditions and practices
Arts and media
* The French (band), ...
architect of
Armenian
Armenian may refer to:
* Something of, from, or related to Armenia, a country in the South Caucasus region of Eurasia
* Armenians, the national people of Armenia, or people of Armenian descent
** Armenian diaspora, Armenian communities around the ...
origin, based in
London
London is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of both England and the United Kingdom, with a population of in . London metropolitan area, Its wider metropolitan area is the largest in Wester ...
,
UK.
Education
Michel Mossessian gained his diploma in architecture at the
École Nationale Supérieure des Beaux-Arts
École or Ecole may refer to:
* an elementary school in the French educational stages normally followed by secondary education establishments (collège and lycée)
* École (river), a tributary of the Seine
The Seine ( , ) is a river in nor ...
UP N°8 (Paris
Belleville), where he also engaged in
philosophy
Philosophy ('love of wisdom' in Ancient Greek) is a systematic study of general and fundamental questions concerning topics like existence, reason, knowledge, Value (ethics and social sciences), value, mind, and language. It is a rational an ...
under
Jacques Derrida
Jacques Derrida (; ; born Jackie Élie Derrida;Peeters (2013), pp. 12–13. See also 15 July 1930 – 9 October 2004) was a French Algerian philosopher. He developed the philosophy of deconstruction, which he utilized in a number of his texts, ...
and
Michel Foucault
Paul-Michel Foucault ( , ; ; 15 October 192625 June 1984) was a French History of ideas, historian of ideas and Philosophy, philosopher who was also an author, Literary criticism, literary critic, Activism, political activist, and teacher. Fo ...
. He was a recipient of the
Villa Medicis Hors les Murs fellowship and went on to the
Cooper Union School of Architecture in
New York
New York most commonly refers to:
* New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States
* New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York
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Places United Kingdom
* ...
, where he studied Advanced Design. He subsequently completed his master's degree in design studies at
Harvard Graduate School of Design
The Harvard Graduate School of Design (GSD) is the graduate school of design at Harvard University, a private research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts. It offers master's and doctoral programs in architecture, landscape architecture, urba ...
in Cambridge, MA, where he studied with Raphael Moneo and Bill Mitchell, along with studies at the MIT media Lab on artificial intelligence.
Early career
Mossessian worked for
Skidmore, Owings & Merrill
SOM, an initialism of its original name Skidmore, Owings & Merrill LLP, is a Chicago-based architectural, urban planning, and engineering firm. It was founded in 1936 by Louis Skidmore and Nathaniel Owings. In 1939, they were joined by engineer ...
(SOM) as Senior Designer in their
Chicago
Chicago is the List of municipalities in Illinois, most populous city in the U.S. state of Illinois and in the Midwestern United States. With a population of 2,746,388, as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it is the List of Unite ...
office and as Design Director at the
London
London is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of both England and the United Kingdom, with a population of in . London metropolitan area, Its wider metropolitan area is the largest in Wester ...
offices. Along with Senior partner,
Larry Oltmanns
Larry Oltmanns (born 1951, in Rockford, Illinois, United States) is an American architect. He has achieved recognition for his work as an architect and master planner of large-scale mixed-use developments worldwide. Oltmanns is Design Director ...
, they made a successful bid resulting in the design and completion in 2017 of the new
NATO
The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO ; , OTAN), also called the North Atlantic Alliance, is an intergovernmental organization, intergovernmental Transnationalism, transnational military alliance of 32 Member states of NATO, member s ...
headquarters in
Brussels
Brussels, officially the Brussels-Capital Region, (All text and all but one graphic show the English name as Brussels-Capital Region.) is a Communities, regions and language areas of Belgium#Regions, region of Belgium comprising #Municipalit ...
.
Mossessian Architecture
In 2005, Mossessian established the architectural studio of Mossessian & Partners, where he serves as principal architect. His first building design in London was the Carmine Building, 5 Merchant Square, a 15-storey office building at Five Merchant Square. As part of the
Paddington Basin
Paddington Basin is the name given to a long canal basin, and its surrounding area, in Paddington, London.
The basin commences 500 m south of the junction known as Little Venice, of the Regent's Canal and the Paddington Arm of the Grand ...
Development, the building was topped off in 2009, by the
Mayor of London
The mayor of London is the chief executive of the Greater London Authority. The role was created in 2000 after the Greater London devolution referendum in 1998, and was the first directly elected mayor in the United Kingdom.
The current ...
,
Boris Johnson
Alexander Boris de Pfeffel Johnson (born 19 June 1964) is a British politician and writer who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom and Leader of the Conservative Party (UK), Leader of the Conservative Party from 2019 to 2022. He wa ...
.
In 2010, Mossessian & Partners completed three buildings: 5 Merchant Square (headquarters for Marks and Spencers) in
Paddington
Paddington is an area in the City of Westminster, in central London, England. A medieval parish then a metropolitan borough of the County of London, it was integrated with Westminster and Greater London in 1965. Paddington station, designed b ...
,
London
London is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of both England and the United Kingdom, with a population of in . London metropolitan area, Its wider metropolitan area is the largest in Wester ...
; ExxonMobil Headquarters in
Shanghai
Shanghai, Shanghainese: , Standard Chinese pronunciation: is a direct-administered municipality and the most populous urban area in China. The city is located on the Chinese shoreline on the southern estuary of the Yangtze River, with the ...
,
China
China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. With population of China, a population exceeding 1.4 billion, it is the list of countries by population (United Nations), second-most populous country after ...
; and a private residence in
Sorede,
France
France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...
.
In 2011, the company won an open international competition for an urban renewal project in the Medina of
Fes
Fez () or Fes (; ) is a city in northern inland Morocco and the capital of the Fez-Meknes administrative region. It is one of the largest cities in Morocco, with a population of 1.256 million, according to the 2024 census. Located to the nort ...
,
Morocco
Morocco, officially the Kingdom of Morocco, is a country in the Maghreb region of North Africa. It has coastlines on the Mediterranean Sea to the north and the Atlantic Ocean to the west, and has land borders with Algeria to Algeria–Morocc ...
which is now on site.
In 2015 the practice was renamed Mossessian Architecture. Since that time Mossessian Architecture has designed 4 phases of a regeneration scheme in Doha (Msheireb), two buildings in Central London's King's Cross area, and won an international competition to design a museum of the Islamic Faith in Makkah, Saudi Arabia.
Outside of the practice, Mossessian lectures widely at schools of architecture and cultural institutions. Currently he is a visiting professor at Imperial College London where he lectures on how architecture affects well-being. He also personally organises events to promote innovation and development in the industry.
Design approach
Mossessian has a reputation for being at the helm of new approaches and technologies. Edwin Heathcote, Architecture Critic at the Financial Times, described Mossessian as follows: "Very few architects are able to blend the seductively reductive commercial architecture of Mid-Century Chicago with the lightness of touch and creative flair of contemporary European design — Mossessian is at the forefront of those few."
His original Black Box method has become a staple of every project the practice delivers and ensures a shared vision from the outset.
Mossessian is deeply interested in cultural localism and architecture that is concerned with far more than the buildings themselves. Propelled by his vision of creating culturally responsive architecture, he has sought out like-minded organisations, such as UNESCO and the MCC.
Significant projects
* S1 building in King's Cross, London – under construction
* S2 building in King's Cross, London - under construction
* Place Lalla Yeddouna in
Fes
Fez () or Fes (; ) is a city in northern inland Morocco and the capital of the Fez-Meknes administrative region. It is one of the largest cities in Morocco, with a population of 1.256 million, according to the 2024 census. Located to the nort ...
, Morocco - under construction
* Msheireb development in
Doha
Doha ( ) is the capital city and main financial hub of Qatar. Located on the Persian Gulf coast in the east of the country, north of Al Wakrah and south of Al Khor (city), Al Khor and Lusail, it is home to most of the country's population. It ...
, Qatar – under construction
* 5 Merchant Square (Marks and Spencers Headquarters), London – completed 2010
* ExxonMobil Building in Shanghai, China – completed 2010
* Exchange House, London, UK
* 1 Fleet Place, London, UK - completed 1992
* NATO headquarters in
Brussels
Brussels, officially the Brussels-Capital Region, (All text and all but one graphic show the English name as Brussels-Capital Region.) is a Communities, regions and language areas of Belgium#Regions, region of Belgium comprising #Municipalit ...
, Belgium – with
Skidmore, Owings & Merrill
SOM, an initialism of its original name Skidmore, Owings & Merrill LLP, is a Chicago-based architectural, urban planning, and engineering firm. It was founded in 1936 by Louis Skidmore and Nathaniel Owings. In 1939, they were joined by engineer ...
* Villa Olympica Barcelona in
Barcelona
Barcelona ( ; ; ) is a city on the northeastern coast of Spain. It is the capital and largest city of the autonomous community of Catalonia, as well as the second-most populous municipality of Spain. With a population of 1.6 million within c ...
, Spain – with Skidmore, Owings & Merrill
* Broadgate in
London
London is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of both England and the United Kingdom, with a population of in . London metropolitan area, Its wider metropolitan area is the largest in Wester ...
, UK – with Skidmore, Owings & Merrill
Awards, recognition and other highlights
5 Merchant Square
''- MIPIM Special Tribute to the Country of Honour, UK''
''- LEAF Commercial Building of the Year 2012''
''- Runner up for 2011 BCO Awards''
Place Lalla Yeddouna
''- Winner of 2014 AR Future Project Cultural Regeneration Award''
''- Winner of 2011 Holcim Awards, Urban Precinct Reconstruction & Rehabilitation''
''- World Architecture Festival Cultural Regeneration Award 2013''
''- LEAF Best Future Building 2012''
''- World Architecture Festival Cultural Regeneration 2011''
Msheireb Doha Qatar
- ''Overall Winner 2012 AR Future Projects Awards''
''- Winner of 2011 AR Future Project Sustainability Award''
"AR Future Project Awards: 2011"
e-architect, 1 February 2011
''- World Architecture Festival Public Realm Award 2013''
''- World Architecture Festival Residential Award 2011''
Competitions Awards
''2016 Makkah Museum, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia 4/sup> - 1st prize winning entry, expected completion 2020''
''2014 King’s Cross Argent, S1 and S2 block - Winning entry, completion 2018 and 2020''
''2013 Worldcup Stadium, Qatar - Confidential''
''2011 Mushereib Heart of Doha, phase 4 - Winning entry, 4 high rises, completion 2020''
''2011 Place Lalla Yedouna, Fez - 1st prize winning entry, completion 2017''
''2010 Mushereib Heart of Doha, Qatar, phase 3 - Winning entry, super block T1, completion 2018''
Gallery
File:5 Merchant Square.jpg, 5 Merchant Square in Paddington Basin
Paddington Basin is the name given to a long canal basin, and its surrounding area, in Paddington, London.
The basin commences 500 m south of the junction known as Little Venice, of the Regent's Canal and the Paddington Arm of the Grand ...
, London, UK
London is the capital and largest city of both England and the United Kingdom, with a population of in . Its wider metropolitan area is the largest in Western Europe, with a population of 14.9 million. London stands on the River Tha ...
File:5 merchant sq close up.jpg, 5 Merchant Square London, UK
File:Place Lalla Yeddouna.jpg, Place Lalla Yeddouna World Heritage Site, Medina of Fez
Fes el Bali () is the oldest part of Fez, Morocco. It is one of the three main districts of Fez, along with Fes Jdid and the French-created ''Ville Nouvelle (New City'). Together with Fes Jdid, it forms the medina (historic quarter) of Fez, signif ...
, Morocco
Morocco, officially the Kingdom of Morocco, is a country in the Maghreb region of North Africa. It has coastlines on the Mediterranean Sea to the north and the Atlantic Ocean to the west, and has land borders with Algeria to Algeria–Morocc ...
File:S1 Kings Cross.jpg, S1 Building, King's Cross, London, UK
London is the capital and largest city of both England and the United Kingdom, with a population of in . Its wider metropolitan area is the largest in Western Europe, with a population of 14.9 million. London stands on the River Tha ...
File:KX A4 Night-Yellow resized.jpg, S2 Building, King's Cross, London, UK
London is the capital and largest city of both England and the United Kingdom, with a population of in . Its wider metropolitan area is the largest in Western Europe, with a population of 14.9 million. London stands on the River Tha ...
File:2013-08-30 Square-Deployed.jpg, Msheireb Downtown Doha, Baharat Square, Doha
Doha ( ) is the capital city and main financial hub of Qatar. Located on the Persian Gulf coast in the east of the country, north of Al Wakrah and south of Al Khor (city), Al Khor and Lusail, it is home to most of the country's population. It ...
, Qatar
Qatar, officially the State of Qatar, is a country in West Asia. It occupies the Geography of Qatar, Qatar Peninsula on the northeastern coast of the Arabian Peninsula in the Middle East; it shares Qatar–Saudi Arabia border, its sole land b ...
File:09131 101 Aerial Town Centre Overview - Croped.jpg, Msheireb Downtown, Doha
Doha ( ) is the capital city and main financial hub of Qatar. Located on the Persian Gulf coast in the east of the country, north of Al Wakrah and south of Al Khor (city), Al Khor and Lusail, it is home to most of the country's population. It ...
Qatar
Qatar, officially the State of Qatar, is a country in West Asia. It occupies the Geography of Qatar, Qatar Peninsula on the northeastern coast of the Arabian Peninsula in the Middle East; it shares Qatar–Saudi Arabia border, its sole land b ...
File:P NATO ZOOM 021.jpg, NATO Headquarters, Bruxelles, Belgium
Belgium, officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a country in Northwestern Europe. Situated in a coastal lowland region known as the Low Countries, it is bordered by the Netherlands to the north, Germany to the east, Luxembourg to the southeas ...
References
Notes
External links
Mossessian & Partners Official Website
MOSSESSIAN & PARTNERS, LONDON: MIXITY, MÉTISSAGE AND COLLABORATIONS
from SPACE Magazine
{{DEFAULTSORT:Mossessian, Michel
1959 births
Living people
Architects from Paris
École des Beaux-Arts alumni
French people of Armenian descent
Harvard Graduate School of Design alumni
Cooper Union alumni
French architects
Armenian architects
French emigrants to England