A rendering of Terrarium Cheong-Dam, ODA’s mixed-use tower in Seoul, South Korea.
Photo: RENDERING COURTESY OF ODA
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
Eran Chen. Photo: OHAD KAB
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.”
Book Tower in Detroit. Photo: REBEKAH WITT, BEDROCK
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.
A reconstructed 6,000-piece skylight in ODA’s restoration of the Book Tower in Detroit. Photo: REBEKAH WITT, BEDROCK
“Whatever we design tells a story, and that story hopefully represents the people and community”
eran chen
Kamper's at the Book Tower in Detroit. Photo: Matthew Williams
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 rendering of Terrarium Cheong-Dam, ODA’s mixed-use tower in Seoul, South Korea. Photo: RENDERING COURTESY OF ODA
A version of this article first appeared in print in our 2024 Spring Issue under the headline “Creative Minds.” Subscribe to the magazine.
Cover: A rendering of Terrarium Cheong-Dam, ODA’s mixed-use tower in Seoul, South Korea.
Photo: RENDERING COURTESY OF ODA
