Mihai Radu

Mihai Radu (b. April 3, 1959) is a Romanian architect established in the United States of America in the early eighties.
Biography
He received his degree in Architecture from the Pratt Institute. While finishing his studies, he began working in the office of I. M. Pei & Partners. Here, he had the chance to work from Paris, for about three years, at the Louvre Pyramid project.
In 1997, after working with other important names as Swanke Hayden Connell Architects or Richard Meier, Mihai became founding partner of Lauster & Radu Architects, renamed Mihai Radu Architects in 2004.
Some of the most important works are: The Restoration of Brancusi’s Endless Column and the masterplan for the development of the Tîrgu Jiu town center area, with Brancusi's Monumental Sculptural Ensemble, the Headquarters of Petrom/OMV in Bucharest, the United Nations General Assembly hall's restoration and the Headquarters for the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

Mihai is an advisory board member of the Low Income Housing Fund, Pro Patrimonio Foundation and Infinity Foundation. He is also a professor of architecture and interior design at the School of Visual Arts in New York.
He has obtained a number of prestigious distinctions, including Europa Nostra, New York Awards Renovation Project, Wilo von Moltke award.
Becoming an architect
School
As a child, he spent a very long time with his father who taught him how to draw and inspired his artistic vision. He spent the first eight years of school at the Rossetti High school, in Bucharest, which was an English school. There, he had the occasion to learn English language very well, which proved to be very helpful later, during his early years in the USA.
Further, he entered the “N. Tonita” Architecture High school, in Bucharest, that marked his first steps in the Architecture field.
After one year and a half of studying Architecture at the “Ion Mincu” University of Architecture and Urbanism, in Bucharest, in 1981, he leaves Romania for starting a new life in the United States. Here, he is accepted at the Pratt Institute, in New York, where he finishes his studies.
Early career
The first experience in the Architecture field is related to I. M. Pei & Partners. In short time after his arrival in the United States, at the age of 21, he had the chance to be accepted in this office, where he worked for the next seven years. In the same time, he continued his studies at the Pratt Institute, in New York. After receiving his degree, he is sent to Paris, where, for three years he coordinates office's activity for the Louvre Pyramid project.
After seven years of working with I. M. Pei, between 1987 and 1990, he started working with Swanke Hayden Connell Architects, a major architecture office, focused on international development, where, as an associate partner, he worked on many projects and competitions in London. The most important experience is related to the Spittalfields Market and Wren House, KIO Kuveity Investment Operations, one of the most important developers of those times in London.
Since 1990, he works with Richard Meier for the project, where he is in charge with the Paris office's activity. ]
Practice
After a brief period of solo practice, in 1997, Mihai becomes a founding partner of Lauster & Radu Architects (renamed Mihai Radu Architects in 2004). Started as a small architecture office in New York, today, Mihai Radu Architects has a team of 45 members, in New York, Bucharest and Dresden which coordinates important corporatist projects and master plans.
Most of the projects are developed in the rapidly developing world of Eastern Europe, though there are commissions in East Africa and Latin America. The clients include major non-aligned international organizations such as the United Nations, the World Bank and the World Monuments Fund.
Philosophy
As a practice, he has adopted the idea of a contemporary contextualism, in which though the traditional context intagration requests are respected, the new element comes out as a unique, contemporary one.
Mihai’s design credo incorporates sophisticated simplicity, complemented by a keen sense of understanding of the complexities involved in the creations of humane spaces. Having an all-encompassing practice has been one of Mihai’s priorities from the beginning because of his deep belief in the fact that creativity is always stimulated by diversity and complexity.
Projects
Proposed
*ASEBUSS, Bucharest
*Baneasa Master Plan, Bucharest
*Brancusi Museum, Targu Jiu
*Watts Street Tower, New York
*Kiseleff Office Building
*Parc Izvor
Under Construction
*Tron Tower
*Piperacity
*UNECA
Completed
*2008 - 145 Park Place
*2008 - 238 West 108 street
*2007 - 3 Sutton - Place - Gut Rehab of Secretary General's residence
*2005 - DorobanÅ£i- Petrom/ OMV
*2004 - Times Sq. Brewery
*2000 - Restoration of the Endless Column
*2000 - United Nations General Assembly - restoration

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