THE GREATEST ARCHITECTS IN HISTORY

I was a junior at Stanford and not totally satisfied with my choice to become a chemical engineer.  I had at that point actually taken more art courses than those in ChE.  I always had an artistic flare, and when I graduated in ChE, I almost went to Sophia University in Tokyo to pursue my interest in art.  My more responsible self kept me on my path to become what I am today,

But going back to 1960, I looked into becoming an architect or architectural engineer.  To do so meant I had to spend a extra year and half making up courses.  But I've kept up with this field, which will lead today to an architect no one has ever heard of, Shaun Killa.

To begin, who designed those noteworthy structures of our historic past?

• A good place to start is the Great Pyramid of Giza, which dates back to 2560 BC, or 4585 years ago.
• Egyptian Prince Hemiunu is believed to have been the architect.
• Actually, Egyptian chancellor to King Djoser around 2625, Imhotep, built the first one, the Pyramid of Djoser, at a height of 200 feet.  The Great Pyramid is 451 feet tall.
• 2700 years ago with the Great Wall of China, which wasn't designed by a single person, for it evolved over centuries.  Credit is given to Qin Shi Huang, the first emperor of China, for connecting the fortifications into a unified system, with completion in 220 BC.

• 
  Construction of Saint Peter's Basilica in the Vatican began in 1506 and was completed in 1626.  Principally designed by Donato Bramante, Michelangelo and Carlo Maderno.  St. Peter died around 65 AD, but his remains are supposedly buried here.

• 
  Around the same time came the Taj Mahal, built in Agra, India between 1631 and 1648 by order of the Mughal emperor Shah Jahan in memory of this favorite wife, Mumtaz Mahal.  He had at least for more.  The main architect was Ustad Ahmad Lahori.

• 
  More recently, Antoni Gaudi designed the Sagrada Família, where construction began in Barcelona, Spain in 1882.  Supposedly, it will be completed next year.  In 2025 dollars, the cost so far is $125 million.

I've been to all the above, save for  the Pyramid of Djoser.  Ten minutes of the 15 most famous buildings in the world.

Then there are these modern times, and the three acknowledged master architects in no particular order are:

Watch Mojo has the following ranking:

1. Antoni Gaudi
2. Frank Lloyd Wright
3. Frank Gehry
4. Ieoh Ming Pei
5. Zaha Hadid
6. Ludvig Mies Van der Rohe
7. Le Corbusier
8. Michelangelo
9. Renzo Piano
10. Buckminster Fuller.

Shaun Killa is from South Africa, whose stepfather was an architect. Shaun spent weekends at this office from the age of 12.  In 1998 he moved to Dubai to become Director of Architecture for Atkins.  He is careful with his background, and I can't find anything indicating his age.  However, this photo might have been taken around 6 years ago.

Killa spent 16 years at Atkins in different roles, including director of architecture, and describes the experience as “a great time”. His expertise grew as the business continued to win and deliver more projects across the region. The schemes completed during his time with Atkins included Burj Al Arab; the Dubai Opera House; Bahrain World Trade Centre; the Creek Harbour masterplan; and several skyscrapers near Sheikh Zayed Road, including 21st Century Tower, Chelsea Tower, and the Address Boulevard.

He formed Killa Design Architecture in 2015 in Dubai.  

• He beat 20 other firms to win the design competition for the Museum of the Future that year.  
• It opened in 2022.
• I was staying at the Jumeirah Emirates Tower (to the immediate right), and across the street was this fabulous looking ovalish artpiece.
• So we walked over (underground tunnel) to the Museum of the Future.

• 
  How do I rate this museum?

You ask, what was inside the museum?  Couldn't get tickets, for the place is sold out for the year.  Did not want to pay scalpers' prices, which is offered by the hotel.  I'll come the next time I'm back by booking advanced reservations, for there is a metro stop close by.

• Address Jumeirah Gate, 2018.

• Jumeirah Marsa Al Arab, just opened.

• The above is merely examples of what the firm is doing.  Read this for more.
• In 2021 Killa Design was named Architecture Firm of the Year by Construction Week.
• Upcoming projects include the Red Sea Development on Sheybarah Island, Saudi Arabia.

• SRG Tower with solar and wind power in the heart of Dubai.  Said to be designed for 500 MW of wind power.  However, my experience is that this is not a windy city, with perhaps some seasonal capability possible.

Here is a video almost an hour long featuring Shaun Killa.

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