Architecture
Through a nationwide competition, world-renowned architect Moshe Safdie and his firm Moshe Safdie and Associates were chosen to design the new facility. The striking design will be a strong visual statement of the importance of peace and America's commitment to it. The building will consist of three distinct sections linked together by atriums covered by large-span undulating roofs. The building’s roofs form a dramatic series of wing-like elements constructed of steel frames and white translucent glass. It will be a certified Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) structure.
About the Architect
Moshe Safdie was born in Haifa, Israel, in 1938. He later moved to Canada with his family, graduating from McGill University in 1961 with a degree in architecture. After apprenticing with Louis I. Kahn in Philadelphia, he returned to Montreal, taking charge of the master plan for the 1967 World Exhibition, where he also realized an adaptation of his thesis as Habitat '67, the central feature of the World's Fair.
In 1970, Safdie established a Jerusalem branch office, commencing an intense involvement with the rebuilding of Jerusalem. He was responsible for major segments of the restoration of the Old City and the reconstruction of the new center, linking the Old and New Cities. Over the years, his involvement expanded and included the new city of Modi'in, the new Yad Vashem Holocaust Museum, and the Rabin Memorial Center. During this period, Safdie also became involved in the developing world, working in Senegal, Iran, Singapore, and in the northern Canadian arctic.
In 1978, following teaching at Yale, McGill, and Ben Gurion Universities, Safdie relocated his residence and principal office to Boston, as he became director of the Urban Design Program and the Ian Woodner Professor of Architecture and Urban Design at the Harvard Graduate School of Design. In the following decade, he was responsible for the design of six of Canada's principal public institutions, including the Quebec Museum of Civilization, the National Gallery of Canada, and Vancouver Library Square.
In the past decade, Safdie's major cultural and educational commissions in the U.S. have included: the United States Institute of Peace Headquarters on the Mall in Washington, D.C.; the Skirball Museum and Cultural Center in Los Angeles, CA; Exploration Place in Wichita, KS; educational facilities such as the Eleanor Roosevelt College at the University of California in San Diego; civic buildings such as the Springfield, MA, and Mobile, AL, federal courthouses; and performing arts centers such as the Kansas City, MO, Performing Arts Center. In addition to major works of urbanism, Safdie's current work includes two airports— the Lester B. Pearson International Airport in Toronto and the Ben Gurion International Airport in Tel Aviv.
Recent building openings include the Telfair Museum of Art in Savannah, Georgia (2006), The Yad Vashem Museum in Jerusalem (2005), the Lester B. Pearson International Airport (2004), the Ben Gurion International Airport (2004), the Salt Lake City Main Public Library (2003), and the Peabody Essex Museum (2003).
About the Owner’s Representative
John Stranix is the owner’s representative. He graduated from Villanova University in 1978 with a Bachelor of Engineering in Civil Engineering, and after service in the Navy Civil Engineer Corps, Mr. Stranix earned a Masters of Engineering in Civil Engineering from Pennsylvania State University.
Stranix initially worked for Booz, Allen & Hamilton providing design and construction consulting services for government and private sector clients. In 1985 he joined The George Hyman Construction Company of Bethesda, Maryland, where he worked on multiple projects, including the $675 million design/build addition to Chicago’s McCormick Place Exhibition Center, in preconstruction services, marketing, and project management capacities.
In 1995, he became president of D.C. Arena Limited Partnership, where he was responsible for the development, design, construction, and operation of Washington, D.C.’s Verizon Center, a $300 million, 20,000 seat sports arena for the Washington Wizards (NBA) and Washington Capitals (NHL). In 2000, he formed Stranix Associates LLC, a project management and owner representation services company specializing in the management of unique and large-scale projects, including the USIP Headquarters Building, the Phillies’ Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia, the United Therapeutics Headquarters and Laboratory in Maryland, the Corcoran Gallery of Art in Washington, the headquarters for the American Israel Public Affairs Committee in Washington, and the new ballpark for the Washington Nationals Major League Baseball team in Washington.
Mr. Stranix is a professional engineer in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and a member of the National Society of Professional Engineers (NSPE), the International Facility Management Association (IFMA), and the International Association of Assembly Managers (IAAM).
