2024-12-24T13:33:52-05:00 https://archinect.com/news/article/150263183/art-gensler-architect-businessman-and-founder-of-the-largest-architecture-firm-in-the-world-has-passed-away Katherine Guimapang 2021-05-10T22:15:00-04:00 >2024-01-23T19:16:08-05:00 <img src="https://archinect.gumlet.io/uploads/99/9926e8ed6ed5ae7174b26bc63205afa8.jpeg?fit=crop&auto=compress%2Cformat&enlarge=true&w=1200" border="0" /><p>M. Arthur Gensler Jr., the founder of <a href="https://archinect.com/gensler" target="_blank">Gensler</a>, has passed away at the age of 85. He was a talented architect who turned his humble San Francisco practice into the largest architecture firm in the world with 50 locations across Asia, Europe, Australia, the Middle East, and the Americas. Gensler founded the practice in 1965 and has worked on several remarkable projects along with running one of the most successful architecture firms for the past 65 years.&nbsp;</p> <p>According to the <a href="https://www.sfchronicle.com/local/article/Art-Gensler-architect-who-built-a-tiny-S-F-shop-16166415.php?converted=1" target="_blank">SF Chronicle</a>, Gensler was battling lung disease for the last 18 months and passed away in his sleep. Gensler's son David shared with Sam Whiting of the SF Chronicle, "he had a real passion for San Francisco and the Bay Area. My dad was a regular guy, respectful and friendly and never pompous. He loved serving clients through the power of design."</p> <p>Born in New York, Gensler studied at <a href="https://archinect.com/schools/cover/1544387/cornell-university" target="_blank">Cornell University</a> and received his B.Arch in 1958. In a conversation with Gensler Principal Maddy Burke-Vigeland, he attributed archit...</p>