New York Through the Eyes of an Architect

Costas Kondylis, the prolific contemporary architect behind 86 of Manhattan’s most iconic high-rise buildings, left an indelible mark on New York City. The founder of the architectural firm, Costas Kondylis and Partners, is not only responsible for a multitude of the peaks and grooves in today’s Manhattan’s skyline, but also the basis for many to appear in the future. Kondylis’ impressive roster of achievements have been featured in several high profile magazines, including Architectural Digest, The New York Times, The New Yorker, and Town & Country.

As part of the PBS series, “Treasures of New York,” The Real Deal produced the documentary film, “Building Stories,” which chronicles the life, work and challenges of Kondylis. Squat became the documentary’s marketing team, leading the campaign for the premiere of the film, including the production of everything from posters to brochures, to tickets and DVD packaging, to promotional videos and books. We focused the materials on portraits of Costas himself, treating and honoring him as an iconic figure. The imagery captures him in the mindstate in which he most often finds himself – one of thought and inspiration.

Our most impactful material was a 56-page book showing the progression of Kondylis’ career, from a young man with a head filled with dreams and sketches to a legendary architect. Readers will find a comprehensive timeline of Kondylis’ achievements, family portraits, quotes, illustrations and unique insights into Kondylis’s thoughts and adventures. With the exception of a few splashes of red, the book is primarily black and white so as not to distract from the significance of the content. It was Kondylis’ hope that the book and the film would show young architects the real possibilities of coming to New York with a dream and transforming the city in a way no one could have imagined.