Interview with George Efstathiou

At the column 'High Rise' regarding high rise buildings and skyscrapers several conversations with well known architects and engineers will be hosted. These conversations focus on the Greek High Rise reality and especially at the prohibition of building higher than 27m throughout Greece.

At this conversation the architect George Efstathiou is hosted.

George Efstathiou is a Managing Partner in the Chicago Office of Skidmore, Owings & Merrill LLP (SOM). As an architect, he has dedicated his career to large-scale urban projects that catalyze development and become symbols of their cities. For the last six years, he has led SOM's work on the Burj Khalifa, the world's tallest tower. As lead architect, George cultivated the project from the initial design competition concept into a concrete structure that has become synonymous with Dubai as a center of innovation and invention.

In each project he undertakes, George coordinates and manages all professional disciplines, keeping the team on schedule and on budget while ensuring that the client's goals are represented throughout the design process. He works closely with architects, engineers, designers, consultants, clients and construction teams across the globe.

George's portfolio encompasses the design and management of largescale and high-rise projects in the United States, United Kingdom, Malaysia, Korea, Russia, China, Brazil, and the Middle East. In 1989, George relocated to SOM's London office for two years to manage the Broadgate and Ludgate developments, which have since become two of the city's most successful infrastructure projects. More recently, he has managed the development of numerous high-rises in the UAE, including the Burj Dubai, Infi nity Tower and Rolex Tower.

Alexios Vandoros,
Chief editor of GreekArchitects.gr e-magazine
CTBUH Country Leader for Greece