Patrick MacLeamy - Designing a World-Class Architecture Firm

Some years later, I was on a marketing visit to New York with George Hellmuth. As we were driving to an appointment, the World Trade Center came into view. Hellmuth looked at the Twin Towers and said, “My old partner, Yama, designed those towers, and I'm proud of him. But, I had to stamp the drawings on his first project because he wasn't a registered architect yet!” Yamasaki died in 1986, before terrorists destroyed the Twin Towers in the September 11, 2001 attacks.

George Hellmuth was 48 years old when he and Yamasaki divided HYL. At an age when many people have lost the spark of ambition, he was just getting started. Hellmuth, who had watched his German-American father and uncle repeatedly build up and tear down their own firm, reprised his role as the full-time marketing principal, responsible for bringing new work to HOK. He was determined to fulfill his depression-proof-firm strategy and win a diverse portfolio of work for the new partnership.

FIGURE 2.6George Hellmuth, Gyo Obata, and George Kassabaum ca 1955.

Source: Photo courtesy of HOK.

Gyo Obata, just 32 years old and the son of Japanese immigrant artists, became the design principal. He brought intensity, innovation, and modernist passion to his role. Obata's goal was to find interesting design opportunities in every commission Hellmuth brought to the firm, whether they were “signature” buildings or more modest ones.

George Kassabaum, 35 years old and the prairie-raised descendant of German-Americans, was the principal in charge of production, a position ideally suited to the organizational talents he had honed at Washington University. His role was to carry Obata's designs through to successful bidding and construction, on time and on budget.

In summary, Hellmuth brought in the work, Obata designed the work, and Kassabaum saw the work through. They were different men, with different backgrounds, and decided their differences were strengths, not weaknesses—a smart outlook. On the other hand, all three founders shared certain traits that would prove critical to HOK's success half a century later:

Ambitious: All three founders had outsize ambitions. They wanted to build a national—or better yet international—design practice. They wanted to design not just buildings but a firm unlike any other. And they were long-term thinkers, with the audacity to set strategic goals that required decades to see to fruition.

Innovative: All were innovators. They wanted to reinvent the practice of architecture. Hellmuth wanted to follow his depression-proof-firm strategy and build the most diversified practice possible. Obata wanted to tap into the best people and best consultants to change how architects practiced design. And Kassabaum was driven to create ever-more clear, unambiguous drawings and specifications delivered on budget and on schedule.

Honest: The founders set out to build a reputation for honesty and integrity as a foundation for future growth. “Do the right thing, always.” was Kassabaum's saying and the young firm quickly adopted it as an unofficial motto.

Unified: Finally, the founders wanted a unified firm where things were harmonious on the inside. There was plenty of challenge on the outside. As part of this, they believed in seeking out the very best ideas, no matter who they came from. They wanted people to leave their egos at the door and work together as a team. They knew teams win through teamwork, not because of individual stars.

All the new firm needed was a name. Hellmuth suggested that they follow architecture tradition by listing the last name of each partner. They created a logo with the H, O, and K printed in orange, in lower case characters, around a plus sign. It was simple and clean. Hellmuth, Obata & Kassabaum—HOK—was in business, and the great adventure had begun!

FIGURE 2.7Original HOK logo.

Source: Courtesy of HOK.

The founders retained 26 HYL staff members as new HOK employees. The new firm had a ready-made backlog of work, thanks to existing HYL projects, giving Hellmuth time to cultivate future clients. The most notable project HYL turned over to HOK was completion of the new terminal complex for Lambert St. Louis Airport. At a time when most airports were imitations of railway stations, Lambert's terminal was seminal, a gently curving space that conveyed a feeling of lightness that was a fitting transition for passengers about to travel by air.

FIGURE 2.8Lambert Airport terminal, St. Louis, Missouri.

Source: Photo by Ezra Stoller/Esto. Photo courtesy of HOK.

St. Louis Magazine would later say of Lambert, “When the main terminal was completed in 1956, it instantly became what architectural historian Michael Allen called ‘a landmark that really set the standard.’” The magazine went on to say, “The terminals at New York's John F. Kennedy International Airport, the District of Columbia's Dulles International Airport, and Paris's Charles de Gaulle Airport—all built in a sweeping midcentury style—are said to have been inspired by Lambert's elegant lines.” 6

A tricky issue arose. Who would take credit for design of the Lambert Airport terminal complex? Yamasaki listed the project as his creation since he led conceptual design while at HYL. Obata had assisted Yamasaki with the design at HYL and completed the project at HOK, so he also took credit. There's an old-but-true saying in architecture: Poorly designed projects are orphans, but successful designs have many parents!

One of the earliest commissions Hellmuth won for the newly minted HOK was to design the chapel at Priory School in suburban St. Louis, which was run by the Benedictine Order of monks. He had a bit of an advantage. Hellmuth's four sons attended Priory School and he knew everyone there. The chapel had unique requirements. Each monk was obliged to say mass every morning, so the Benedictines needed a chapel with many altars. Of course, they also needed enough space to accommodate the congregation at Sunday mass.

FIGURE 2.9Priory Chapel, St. Louis Missouri.

Source: Photo by George Silk. Photo courtesy of HOK.

Obata's unique design concept emerged as a round chapel with altars all around the perimeter. He worked in collaboration with famed engineer Pier Luigi Nervi to develop an iconic façade featuring three tiers of whitewashed, thin-shell concrete parabolic arches. The first tier of 20 arches contains altars for the monks to say mass in the mornings before school. The second tier of arches steps back from the first tier and contains high windows bringing light to the chapel interior. The third tier of arches steps back from the second tier to form a bell tower. The main altar is in the center of the chapel for Sunday mass. The Benedictine Order was delighted with the completed chapel and Obata had established himself as a new force in the world of design. Other projects followed, including McDonnell Planetarium, the building that attracted me to HOK.