McKenzie
ARCHITECT OLIN MCKENZIE TO LEAD SKIDMORE, OWINGS & MERRILL LOS ANGELES STUDIO
Partner Olin McKenzie, AIA, NCARB, has moved to Los Angeles, joining Partner Paul Danna to run the studio and lead design for their growing portfolio across Southern California, Texas, Florida and the Asia Pacific region.
After completing his Master of Architecture at UCLA, McKenzie left LA to join SOM’s New York Studio, designing landmark urban projects around the world – from a 650+ feet-tall headquarters for China’s leading radio and communication systems manufacturer in Shenzhen to new athletic facilities at Kuwait University and the Brightline rail stations in Miami.
Through thoughtful material choice and intelligent formmaking, his projects demonstrate a sensitivity with visual articulation, bringing both a human scale and distinct identity to large scale developments. From the curving glass at the Pendry Manhattan West to the textured, cast-in-place concrete of 1245 Broadway in New York, Olin is known for finding unexpected formal and material solutions that enrich not only the buildings’ functionality but also the surrounding area.
He returns to LA after nearly two decades to apply his expertise delivering complex institutional and transformational urban projects including student housing for UCSB, a film and television production studio in LA, and a new development in Kyoto, among others. He will continue to lead his design projects elsewhere, such as the Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority’s Five Points rail station in downtown Atlanta and the Rivage Bal Harbour development in Florida.
