An Architect Rates the Greats

Gary Dennis

New York architect Peter Marino talks about his 10 favorite buildings of the last 100 years and why he loves them

By Reena Jana

New York-based architect Peter Marino, the owner and principal of Peter Marino Architect, is known for his ability to design eye-popping retail spaces for the world's top luxury brands, from Armani to Vuitton. Through his inventive use of forward-thinking technologies and fresh ways of manipulating classic building materials such as marble, Marino imaginatively embodies and updates the essence of ultra-fashionable labels.

In one of his highest-profile projects — Chanel's Tokyo boutique, which opened in December, 2004 — Marino turned a 10-story building in the Ginza district into a giant TV screen. The entire façade is covered with 700,000 computer-controlled LEDs (light emitting diodes). At night, the building's exterior displays scenes of models on the catwalk or abstract electronic renditions of classic Chanel suits.

Marino is also known for his residential projects, such as 170 East End Avenue in Manhattan, which is near completion. And his cultural projects, such as the new wing of the Nassau County Museum of Art on Long Island, N.Y., have garnered awards from the American Institute of Architects.

Marino recently sat down with BusinessWeek to discuss his top 10 favorite buildings of the last 100 years. This exclusive list, ranked by the architect, includes stunning works by several winners of the Pritzker Prize, architecture's highest honor (Luis Barragán, Oscar Niemeyer, Renzo Piano, Herzog & de Meuron). Marino also includes examples of adventurous new building shapes - such as Santiago Calatrava's winged Milwaukee Art Museum (seen here) — and successful experiments in façade design. Marino also discusses why and how each has inspired and influenced his own designs for retail, residential, and other projects.