John Burgee - Johnson/Burgee Architects

Johnson/Burgee Architects

John Burgee and Philip Johnson established Johnson/Burgee in Manhattan in 1968, with Burgee as the firm's CEO, and they collaborated on many designs. In 1984, Raj Ahuja, who had been an associate with the firm for 15 years, was made a full partner. Two years later, they moved into the Lipstick Building at 885 Third Avenue, between 53rd and 54th Streets, which the firm had designed. That same year, Burgee negotiated a lesser role in the partnership for Johnson, as a design consultant, and in 1988 he asked Ahuja to leave. Completing the transformation of the firm, in 1991 Johnson left altogether, at Burgee's behest. Shortly thereafter, the firm went into bankruptcy because of an arbitration connected to Ahuja's leaving, and Burgee's career was dealt a serious blow.

Their collaborations include:

• 1969 – Master plan for Roosevelt Island in the East River, New York City
• 1973 – Niagara Falls Convention Center (now Seneca Niagara Casino), Niagara Falls, New York
• 1974 – Fort Worth Water Gardens, Fort Worth, Texas
• 1974 – Neuberger Museum of Art, SUNY Purchase, Purchase, New York
• 1975 – Pennzoil Place, Houston, Texas
• 1976 – Reconstruction of the interior of Avery Fisher Hall, Manhattan, New York City
• 1980 – 1001 Fifth Avenue (apartment building), Manhattan, New York City
• 1983 – Bank of America Center, Houston, Texas
• 1983 – Williams Tower, Houston, Texas
• 1984 – PPG Place, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
• 1984 – Sony Building, Manhattan, New York City
• 1986 – 55 Maiden Lane, Manhattan, New York City
• 1986 – 885 Third Avenue, Manhattan, New ork City
• 1986 – Lipstick Building, New York City
• 1986 – Tycon Center, Fairfax County, Virginia
• 1987 – 190 South LaSalle Street, Chicago, Ill.; Burgee's first skyscraper in Chicago, where he was born
• 1987 – Comerica Bank Tower, Dallas, Texas
• 1987 – One Atlantic Center (IBM Building), Atlanta, Georgia
• 1989 – 500 Boylston Street, Boston, Massachusetts
• 1989 – Museum of Television and Radio, Manhattan, New York City
• 1990 – 191 Peachtree Tower, Atlanta, Georgia
• 1993 – AEGON Center, Louisville, Kentucky