Creative Mind: Eran Chen
With a slew of projects under construction around the globe, the founding principal of New York studio ODA has perfected the art of storytelling through architecture
It’s hard to imagine an architect busier than Eran Chen. The founding principal of New York studio ODA has no fewer than 15 mega-projects in the works around the world, including in South Korea, Argentina, Taiwan, and the Netherlands.
Straddling the line between architecture, interiors, and master planning, his practice emphasizes mixed-use developments, such as the recently completed Book Tower in Detroit. Formerly derelict, the 38-story Italian Renaissance edifice has been magnificently revived with a new hotel, residences, office space, and retail—all of which share a lobby. “Everyone finds themselves in a single stunningly beautiful location,” he says of the soaring, art-glass atrium. “That type of novel experience is what we seek as architects to design and implement in modern cities.”
Philosophy: Born in Be’er Sheva, Israel, Chen founded his studio in 2007 rooted in three pillars: narrative-based design, porosity, and form following not just function but also human experience. “Whatever we design tells a story, and that story hopefully represents the people and community that are going to use the building,” he says.
Up next: A monograph of built work, ODA: Office of Design and Architecture (Rizzoli), joins other undertakings such as The Harper, a new limestone building on New York’s Upper East Side, and an adaptive reuse project in Buenos Aires.
A version of this article first appeared in print in our 2024 Spring Issue under the headline “Creative Minds.” Subscribe to the magazine.