Leeser Architecture's designs emerge from cultural, social, and technological patterns present at the site. Our projects use technology to reframe the understanding of architectural conventions and production, creating powerful environments in the process. By shaping and refocusing the conventional awareness of these forces we create complex and richly varied spatial experiences, new programmatic relationships and beautifully simple organizations. Institutional projects, museums and performing art centers are areas of particular interest and expertise.
In 2008, Leeser Architecture won the competition to design an iconic hotel in Abu Dhabi, UAE. In 2007, the studio won first prize for the competition and began initial stages on the World Mammoth and Permafrost Museum in Siberia. Recently, Leeser was selected for invited competitions to design the Moscow Polytechnic Museum, Moscow Economic School in Russia, Theater Heidelberg in Germany, and the Oasis Village, a residential project in Dubai.
Latest completed projects include a $70 million expansion and renovation of New York's Museum of the Moving Image, the 3LD Performing Arts Center in Lower Manhattan, the first cultural institution to rebuild after September 11, 2001, and two inaugural 50,000 square foot art exhibitions for LABoral Centro de Arte y Creacion Industrial in Gijon, Spain.
Thomas Leeser
Principal
Project Managers
- Simon Arnold
- Henry Grosman
- Joseph Haberl
Office Management
- Carolyn Calder
Designers
- Justin Brammer
- Kate Burke
- Sofia Castricone
- David Dottelonde
- Hiroe Fujimoto
- Guido Furlanello
- Zachary Goldstein
- Lindsay Harkema
- Susan Heiser
- Justin Piercy
PUBLICATIONS
2012
Caught in the Act: Leeser Architecture
2011
Leeser Architecture Finishes LED-Lit Luxury Lobby for the Mercedes House
Officials to break gound on $30M renovation of Strand Theater
Moscow Polytechnic: 2nd Prize to Leeser
Immersed in Images and an Age of Blurred Boundaries
Designed to Evoke the Future of Filmmaking...
How Film Transforms Our Reality
2008
Architecture Competition Annual, World Mammoth and Permafrost Museum
C3, World Mammoth and Permafrost Museum
2007
Mark, World Mammoth and Permafrost Museum
Elle Aekop, World Mammoth and Permafrost Museum
"Sobre suelo congelado", La Vanguardia, World Mammoth and Permafrost Museum
Concept, World Mammoth and Permafrost Museum
Architectural Record, News Briefs, World Mammoth and Permafrost Museum
In Siberia, Mammoth Ecological Concerns Resolved, Engineering NewsRecord
Gameworld, Form
Leeser Beams, Surface
Casa Electronica, I.D.
Spa-de Magazine, 3-Legged Dog Art & Technology Center
2006
A Theater Group Offers Hope at Ground Zero, The New York Times, 3-Legged Dog Art & Technology Center
Street Performance, Metropolis, 3-Legged Dog Art & Technology Center
Decoration, Vaccaro Loft
In ruime mate, Elle Women
2005
City Living, Interior Design
A Thrilling Exhibit In an Empty Room, The New York Times
Action! Fixup is set, Daily News
Drawing Board, The Architect's Newspaper
Moving Image Shrine to get $25M overhaul, Newsday
2002
Eyebeam Atelier's New Museum of Art and Technology, Architecture & Concept, CA Press
Glass, Binyan Vediur Magazine, Tel Aviv, Israel (in hebrew)
Eyebeam Atelier's Architectural Design Competition, A&U, Tokyo, Japan
"digital specia," Monitor Magazine, Moscow, Russia
Shonquis Moreno: Rewriting the Museum, Frame Magazine, Amsterdam NL
2001
Jan-Willem Poels: Digitally Mastered, Frame Magazine, Amsterdam NL
Shonquis Moreno: Inside Joke, Surface Magazine
Jonah Bruckner-Cohen: The Exhibitionists, Wired Magazine
Cynthia Davidson: Glass, Bot, Pod, Architectural Record
Felix Ackerknecht: An den Grenzen der Wirklichkeit, tec 21 Verlags AG, Zurich, Switzerland
Eva Reik: Lokale for New York, Elle Bistro, Burda Verlag, Munchen
Nina Rappaport: The Gallery: Visions of a Shapeshifting Museum, The Wall Street Journal
Rene Houareau: Denkende Gebude, brand eins, Hamburg, Germany
Peter Hall: Artis Next Generation, Architecture, Business Media Co.
Thomas Leeser: Repositioning Domesticity, domus-m, Istanbul, Turkey
Process: Leeser Architecture, Concept, CA Press
Nina Rappaport, Art World Eats Interior Design Magazine
The Architecture of Navigation, Vi-A Architectura Magazine
AWARDS
2011
Second Prize, Polytechnic Museum, invited international competition, Moscow, Russia
Awarded Starnet Design Grand Prize, Museum of the Moving Image, New York, NY
2010
First Prize, Iconic Greenhouse, invited international competition, Abu Dhabi, UAE
Public Design Commission of the City of New York "Award for Excellence in Design" Strand Theatre Renovation
Shortlisted, Frankfurt Jewish Memorial, international competition, Frankfurt, Germany
2009
Nomination for Cooper-Hewitt National Design Awards
First Prize, The Helix Hotel, invited international competition, Abu Dhabi, UAE
Invited Competitor ,London Olympic Park, invited competition, London, England
2008
Nomination for Cooper-Hewitt National Design Awards
AIA Design Award, World Mammoth and Permafrost Museum
2007
First Prize, World Mammoth and Permafrost Museum, invited competition, Yakustk, Russia
2005
AIA Small Projects Award, Vaccaro Loft
2004
First Prize and Commission, Museum of the Moving Image, invited competition, Astoria, NY
Selected Project with MVRDV and StoSS, NYC 2012 Olympic Village, invited competition, New York, NY
2003
Three Architectural Record Interiors Awards for Excellence in Design for "Glass," "Bot" and "Pod"
New York Foundation for the Arts Architecture and Design Discretionary Grant, Three Legged Dog Performing Arts Group New Media Arts Center design
First Prize, Design School Zollverein, invited international competition, Essen, Germany
Finalist Award, Pontecagnano Faiano European Center for Creativity, international competition, Salerno, Italy
2002
Finalist Award, Eyebeam Atelier Museum for Art and Technology, invited international competition, Chelsea, New York
James Beard Foundation "Best Design Award" nomination for Glass
2001
Finalist, EMPAC-Electronic Media and Performing Arts Center, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, invited limited competition, Troy, New York
2000
Award wining design, ETH World (virtual university), two stage international competition
1999
Deutsche Bank Hochhaus MAX, invited and short listed two stage international competition, Frankfurt, Germany
First Prize, Public Information and Navigation System, Volkswagen AG, Wolfsburg, Germany
1998
Short Listed, Low Cost Housing Bochum, invited two stage competition, Bochum, Germany
1996
Fellowship Award, New York Foundation for the Arts Artists' Fellowship
1994
Honorable Mention, 'Head Start' Child Care Facility, open competition, East Windsor, New Jersey
1990
Diploma Award, The Chamber Theater Art Center, international competition, Moscow, Russia
1980-89
Numerous awards in the offices of Eisenman Architects, for, among others:
First Prize: The Columbus Convention Center, invited competition, Columbus, Ohio
Special Prize: The Biocenter of the J.W. Goethe University, open and invited international competition, Frankfurt, Germany
First Prize: The Wexner Center for Visual Arts, invited competition, Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio
Citation: The University Art Museum, PA Award, Long Beach, California
First Prize and AIA Honor Award: The IBA Museum and Social Housing Project at Checkpoint
Charley, invited international competition, Berlin, Germany
LEESER Architecture PLLC
- 20 Jay St M03
- Brooklyn, NY, 11201
- USA
Phone +1 (718) 643 6656
