A Grid and a Conversation. Morris Adjmi Architects

Book excerpt: A Grid and a Conversation' presents a survey of work by the New York City-based firm Morris Adjmi Architects, well known for the Samsung building along the High Line and the Wythe Hotel in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. Morris Adjmi Architects interpret the complex forces that shape our cities to create buildings that are contextual but unmistakably contemporary. Deeply embedded in the firm's practice is a belief in the Renaissance tradition of architecture, wherein buildings are inextricable from their cultural situation and intellectual function. With a rapidly rising profile and projects under construction in major cities across America, Morris Adjmi Architects are building on their previous ten-year partnership with the Italian architect, designer and scholar Aldo Rossi, with an understanding that the built environment is constantly evolving as it both absorbs and reacts to greater historical narratives. Within the post-industrial areas and landmarked districts where the office often practices, this rich inheritance unfolds through a distinctive formal language and creative use of materials inspired by its urban milieu.0.