anchor
David M. Childs, 1941-2025. Photo: Greg Betz/SOM
David Magie Childs, the SOM architect responsible for One World Trade Center, Time Warner Center, and other office buildings, has died at the age of 83, the New York Times reported. Childs—who recently designed the replacement for 400 Lake Shore Drive in Chicago—grew up in the northeast and gained notoriety by the early 1980s through his work in the Washington, D.C. area before a move to SOM’s New York office accelerated his career in 1984 when he was named Partner.
“Mr. Childs was the antithesis of a ‘starchitect,’ whose celebrity derives from unmistakable flourishes. And he candidly acknowledged his place in the architectural pantheon,” his obituary reads.
The Times also printed a brief recollection from Paul Goldberger, which reads: “There was always an earnestness to his architecture, a seriousness of intention and a deep belief in urbanistic values. He was concerned about the larger civic good, and he worked hard to convince developers to take this into account. This was his legacy as much as pure design.”