Vishaan Chakrabarti

Vishaan Chakrabarti is the founder of Practice for Architecture and Urbanism (PAU), a Manhattan-based architecture firm dedicated to building ecological, equitable, and joyous communities. He leads PAU's cultural, institutional, infrastructure, and public space projects, including Brooklyn's Domino Sugar Refinery, Cleveland's Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, Princeton's Hobson College, New York's Pennsylvania Station, and the FAA's new air traffic control tower prototype. As former Manhattan Planning Director, he helped to save the High Line, extend the #7 subway, advance Moynihan Station, rebuild the East River Waterfront, and reincorporate the streets at the World Trade Center. He taught at Columbia for a decade and served as the Dean of the College of Environmental Design at UC Berkeley. 

Chakrabarti is the author of A Country of Cities: A Manifesto for an Urban America (Metropolis Books, 2013) and The Architecture of Urbanity: Designing for Nature, Culture, and Joy (Princeton University Press, 2024).

Academic Research/Specialty Areas

  • Architecture and Urbanism

Related News

Awards, Grants, and Fellowships (Selected)

  • Fast Company, Most Innovative Architecture Firms, (2024)
  • Architizer A+ Awards for Domino Sugar Refinery (2024)
  • The Miller Prize, InterOculus (2023)
  • American Architecture Award | The Chicago Athenaeum (2020)
  • DOT Sustainability Award, F4 Air Traffic Control Towers

Exhibitions and Presentations (Selected)

  • Aspen Festival of Ideas (2024)
  • InterOculus, Columbus, IN (2023)
  • TED, Main Stage (2017)

Publications (Selected)

  • "The Architecture of Urbanity: Designing for Nature, Culture, and Joy," Princeton University Press, 2024.
  • "A Country of Cities: A Manifesto for an Urban America, Metropolis,"  DAP Books, 2013.
  • Op-Eds, NY Times, Multiple

Selected Work

  • An aerial view of the historic Domino Sugar Refinery in Brooklyn, New York. The brick building is topped with a modern glass structure and a large

    The Refinery at Domino. image / provided

  • Rendering of Hobson College, a new residential college at Princeton University. The building is a large, modern structure with a variety of materials, including brick, stone, and glass. It is surrounded by trees and green spaces, and there are several people walking around the grounds.

    Hobson College, Princeton University. image / provided

  • Aerial view of the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame at sunset. The iconic pyramid-shaped building is illuminated, with visitors walking around the plaza and enjoying the outdoor spaces. The waterfront and cityscape are visible in the background.

    Rock & Roll Hall of Fame and Museum Expansion. image / provided

  • Rendering of a modern air traffic control tower with a modular design. The tower has a square base with stacked modules, and a radar dome on top. It is illuminated at night, with a surrounding landscape of mountains and a runway in the foreground.

    FAA ATC Prototype. image / provided

  • The image contains a large, white structure with a curved roof and a central opening. The structure is surrounded by trees and grass. There are people walking around the structure and sitting on benches. The text in the image says

    InterOculus. image / provided

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