|
Stephen Kanner
Stephen Kanner has made a substantial impact in architectural design, both as practicing architect and as participant in the review, education and exhibition of architecture. In his design work and his related activities, he has consistently promoted his design philosophy of creating a user-friendly, contemporary environment that pays homage to the optimistic Southern California Modernism of the post-war years. His architecture has a ëretro-futuristicí edge which he passionately refers to as ìEvocatectureî. The compositions are positive and playful, seductive and engaging. The result is a portfolio of evocative buildings that have enriched the Los Angeles cityscape.
In the course of his career Kanner has built a solid body of work that is noted for its clarity, strength and optimistic character. Much of his work is a cheerful reinterpretation of Southern California Modernism. In addition to developing a distinctive style, however, Kannerís work is also notable for its ìbang for the buck.î On often limited budgets, Kanner has created buildings that bring life, good design and human scale to their neighborhoods.
The Harvard Apartments, built in 1992, infused strong architectural design into a low-cost housing project in a troubled neighborhood for only $60 per square foot. The Montana Collection retail complex breaks up a large commercial building into human-scale parts so as to be sensitive to its low-scale environment. The IN-N-Out Burger is a sculptural composition derived from the yellow and red boomerang-shaped company logo that communicates the buildingís purpose and creates a vibrant image for an otherwise characterless street.
Since becoming an architect, Stephen has won many design awards, including National AIA awards for his Suntech Housing, 1983, his first project upon leaving school, Christina Development Offices, 1994; West Los Angeles Municipal Couthouse, 1994 and Seacliff Homes, 1989. The Harvard Apartments, 1993; the Montana Collection, 1992; The Sweet 16 Retail Center,1991; and East Los Angeles Courthouse, 1990 have all received state and local chapter design awards.
His work has been reviewed in many design periodicals, including Architecture, Abitare, Architectural Digest, Architectural Record and Metropolis magazines. In addition, Stephen Kanner and his father and partner, Charles Kanner, FAIA, were given an extensive profile in the Los Angeles Times, in recognition of their contribution to the design enrichment of Los Angeles. A monograph on Stephen and his firmís work will be completed in March 1998.
Kanner has also made a mark in the realm of furniture design, having recently won a nationwide competition to design a contemporary reinterpretation of the Adirondack Chair. The kit-of-parts to fabricate the chair is now being marketed successfully by Sunset Magazine
He is also a member of the Westwood Business Improvement District (BID) Board, a group of individuals charged with devising ways to help revitalize the Westwood Village Commercial area. He helped write design guidelines for the Pacific Palisades Design Review Board, to which he had been appointed by the City of Los Angeles in 1996. Since 1996 he has also served on the Marina Del Rey Design Review Board.
As well as developing his own work, Kanner has stood out for his dedication to the work of other architects. In 1994, in celebration of the AIA Los Angeles Chapter Centennial, Kanner co-chaired the 100-100 exhibition, an exhibit of the work of a hundred quality architecture firms in Los Angeles that was featured at the Pacific Design Center during Westweek 1994.
Stephen Kanner has a passion for an architecture that is high quality and experimental without being pretentious or condescending. He has steadfastly transmitted these values in his designs and design-related activities throughout his career.
Kanner Architects
i. herman kanner aia (1901-1953)
charles g. kanner faia
stephen h. kanner aia
10924 LE CONTE AVENUE, LOS ANGELES, CA 90024 T:310 208 0028 F: 310 208 5756
email: kannerarch2@earthlink.net
volume5
|
