Architect Jeanne Gang on changing the shape of a city

Jeanne Gang, arguably the most important female architect working today, heads her own firm, Studio Gang, which is pushing the boundaries of the good that architecture can do, for connecting communities and for the environment. Gang talked with correspondent Martha Teichner about her most recent project, an expansion of New York's American Museum of Natural History, and about the skyscrapers, airport terminal, and other civic spaces she has designed in her hometown of Chicago meant to transform spaces, outside and within.
#JeanneGang @architecture #design
"CBS Sunday Morning" features stories on the arts, music, nature, entertainment, sports, history, science and Americana, and highlights unique human accomplishments and achievements. Check local listings for CBS Sunday Morning broadcast times.
Subscribe to the "CBS Sunday Morning" KZbin channel: bit.ly/20gXwJT
Get more of "CBS Sunday Morning": cbsn.ws/1PlMmAz
Follow "CBS Sunday Morning" on Instagram: bit.ly/23XunIh
Like "CBS Sunday Morning" on Facebook: bit.ly/3sRgLPG
Follow "CBS Sunday Morning" on Twitter: bit.ly/1RquoQb
Subscribe to our newsletter: cbsn.ws/1RqHw7T
Download the CBS News app: cbsn.ws/1Xb1WC8
Try Paramount+ free: bit.ly/2OiW1kZ
For video licensing inquiries, contact: [e-mail]

[@brigettethomas2458]

Absolutely loved this piece! As a female former civil engineer who now works with astonishingly talented climate change professionals where the leaders are at least 50% female, this makes me so proud. Even in my lifetime, things have changed so very much for the better. And looks what the amazing result is!! Fabulous women like Jeanne given the opportunity to bring beauty and meaning to the world. The structures are stunning, Jeanne!! Thank you so much for the needed inspiration today to take my career contributions to the next level. Can’t wait to see more!!

[@starshine3588]

You’re kidding right? This design is exactly what buildings in the Flintstones cartoon looked like…..she’s copying other people’s designs. This is also how many houses look in poor countries….especially the countries that make houses out of mud or elephant dung….again this isn’t original design…she stole it from many other sources. Are you completely unaware of what exists in the rest of the world or throughout history? This is just another example of a woman stealing designs from others and idiots acting like it’s “such an original design” and “so amazing” because they’re so pretentious. She’s not talented….she’s a copycat.

[@starshine3588]

Oh….and by the way….all of these large buildings aren’t good for the environment. They take way more resources to build and maintain than smaller structures….and they waste energy. So don’t act like what she’s building is somehow “environmentally good”….because it’s not. The weight of them is also causing land to sink everywhere they are built. New York City has been sinking because of the weight of its buildings…just like San Francisco and other cities that have massive large skyscrapers. In the future I’m sure they will all have to be torn down because they will be off balance and structurally unstable because of this sinking.

[@rubytuesdayphoenix]

This is so inspiring and refreshing. I have gotten so cynical about present-day architecture and its blandness and beige-y industrial elements that seemed to be present in every new building I saw go up. I had started to think maybe architecture just wasn't my thing as I could never understand the appeal of Frank Gehry, who of course has been lionized for decades. Jeanne Gang is an amazing creator who really brings out beauty

[@starshine3588]

She stole that first building out of the Flintstones cartoon….and her other designs have nothing on Japanese designs. She’s definitely not original….seen many of these same designs in other countries.

[@dinkinsdavidson]

I’m in awe of the vision and brilliance of this woman and the beauty she has created. It’s world changing. This brought tears to my eyes.

[@ronaldmartin2304]

You eloquently expressed my reaction as well.

[@susannpatton2893]

Flintstones house made you cry?

[@lewstone5430]

@Susann Patton, my thoughts as well.

[@starshine3588]

Better buildings are being built in Japan and South Korea….this woman isn’t bringing anything original or different to the table. And all of these big buildings are still bad for the environment no matter what they look like. They use more resources and the buildings are more difficult and more expensive to maintain in the long run versus smaller structures. So don’t act like she’s doing something great because she’s not.

[@poolhall9632]

I think we’ve seen a lot of these shapes before in the 50s and 60s, they just weren’t taken very seriously. There’s no shortage of earth ships and other types of nature inspired architecture. I think she interprets them much better than anyone else

[@chrisfinch8637]

This is the types of stories that will give many of us, a certain vision of what the world would look like, if those buildings can be built there.

[@eelaws]

Wow, my new favorite architect. I love the nature inspired designs of all the projects.

[@Jen-jo5qu]

Impressive story here and what an artist. More news like this, please!

[@marcbuxton3907]

Studio Gang's best scraper is aptly named The 100 Building. A perfect score. It's the first building shown just before the 3-minute mark. It faces America's largest urban park, Forest Park in St. Louis. The building has so many different visual impacts depending on time of day and distance or closeness in viewer position. Literally every apartment has a corner view. Gang's revolutionary manipulation of poured concrete floor plates creates vertical sculptures. Aqua during a clear sunset is a sight to behold.

[@patriciacleland8994]

Kudos to Jeanne Gang. What a vision. Nice to see a woman praised for her work.

[@summerrayne42]

I love these little clips. They brighten my day 😊

[@uchechiuwanaka]

I love her artistic creations... so nice and outta the box! women are so powerful!

[@starshine3588]

She has copied all of these designs….they certainly aren’t out of the box. That first design was straight out of the Flintstones cartoon and poor countries build things like this too out of mud and elephant dung. Japanese design and even South Korean design is so much better than her designs and it looks like she’s tried to copy some of their styles as well. Just because she’s a woman doesn’t make her “powerful” and designing buildings doesn’t make you “powerful” either. She’s not even original….everything she does is copying what a man has done before her…..do you not even look at buildings from all around the world?

[@HLR4th]

Outstanding. My daughter is a rower- that boat house is stunning.

[@JeffreyGillespie]

I really appreciate that at her office she was surrounded by women and people of color.

[@Seekthetruth3000]

What do you mean by people of color?

[@starshine3588]

Wow…so you think people should be hired based on their gender or color of their skin….instead of their actual ability to do the job? So you are not only sexist but racist too….good to know. Did you also appreciate the fact she stole the design of the first building right out of the Flintstones cartoon? None of her other buildings looked any different from other buildings designed all over the world either….but you are obviously too busy noticing someone’s skin color to notice what buildings from around the world look like.

[@Darhan62]

Last time I visited the American Museum of Natural History in New York was in the mid-eighties with my grandparents. The dinosaur skeletons and wildlife dioramas were always what impressed me the most. I may have to go back and check out the architecture as well. It's a fantastic museum and it certainly helped inspire an enduring fascination with science and nature for me.

[@g.richardson6883]

I had to watch this twice - extraordinary.

[@debbralehrman5957]

Love her work. Very nicely done.👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼🌹🌹🌹

[@lyraserpentine894]

I love how organic it is. I wish we had cities like this. I'd live there!

[@chrisignacio1791]

Very Inspirational piece Jeanne Gang is Bringing people together through her Amazing Design ❤

[@sleepinonmezzz5374]

Her buildings have been Chicago's best skyline additions; St Regis is my favorite building on a blue day(Sears still reigns if it's cloudy). The buildings framing driving north on Lake shore might gonna make me rear end somebody I can't look away lol

[@sheilabarfield3849]

Amazed - and there is a humbleness about her - Amazed!

[@ariesone25]

JGA is really brilliant! 😎👍🇵🇭

[@hhydar883]

What an incredible work she has done with all the projects. Would love to hear her thought process in person. Greetings from Pakistan

[@JasmineTea127]

I adore her work and her people-oriented mindset!

[@gedigi9010]

She is Brilliant and so creative.

[@sto620]

If people like this type of architecture then they should check out the Sagrada Familia designed by the genius Antoni Gaudi. It predates this work by more than a century. Truly visionary and far ahead of his time.

[@yuselbionovas8108]

Gaudi😍

[@jenthompson3267]

At 3:10, it’s not Kansas City…that’s Starlight Theatre in Rockford, Illinois. We are honored to have her design on our campus.

[@edtierney6076]

Aqua and St. Regis Chicago are skyline icons

[@melissamccarthy5785]

Collaboration between art and architecture is absolutely stunning!! That being said..... can some of these awesome artist collaborate with the local governments & cut thru the red tape to build AFFORDABLE housing? Billions put into this project could house sooooo many people!!!

[@margaritacanincia1906]

Love her vision!

[@FilmandVideoFun]

Ok, as a Wright, Fay Jones and Goff fan, I'm sold. Roadtrip to Chicago and NYC and her other projects! Of course the Guggenheim, Chrysler Building etc. in NYC will be on the checklist!

[@starshine3588]

Traveling to Chicago and NYC isn’t a smart idea with the crime rates at an all time high. Hopefully you won’t be attacked or killed. You were warned though.

[@aguerra1381]

That's one inspired soul.

[@janespitfire9884]

Lovely! And glad she is smart enough to make these unique figures

[@martinroymervel6488]

Brilliant and inspiring work. She deserves the next Pritzker!

[@starshine3588]

You obviously haven’t seen many buildings from around the world….hers are no different. And the first building was just like the buildings drawn in the Flintstones cartoon….so she definitely doesn’t deserve an award for copying other people’s work and designs.

[@danik4057]

Very inspiring!

[@margaritacanincia1906]

Very organic!

[@stevepenney6076]

Wonderful!

[@savannahm.laurentian1286]

Looks like a home designed by Otero, in Santa Fe. Hmm.

[@sherry3612]

Is the sky scraper and other glass bird friendly?

[@DCGuy1997]

Awful. In 20-30 years it'll be deemed an eyesore and torn down. Waste of materials. Maintenance will be a nightmare.

[@ianellis3242]

I love your designs, truly beautiful. Are there sustainable manufacturing processes of the concrete that goes into these structures?

[@starshine3588]

No…there are not. These manufacturing processes are the ones people claim are harmful to the environment. Also larger buildings and skyscrapers are harmful to the environment because they take more resources to build and to maintain the buildings and are causing land to sink wherever they are built. Eventually the land will sink to the point the buildings have to be torn down…so they are really just a waste.

[@davidr4523]

Without question Jeanne Gang is the greatest female architect of all time. Man made architecture structures are impressive but I will take natural beauty, such as crystal clear water on a tropical beach, anyday. Who is this grouchy old lady conducting this interview?

[@allanjacquadro870]

Awesome

[@lindaweigel5857]

I am blown away by her approach to space and unquestionable talent.

[@taylorcarter1161]

Gaudi inspired?

[@GKP999]

It looks like where the Flintstones would live when they made it rich!

[@Monika-mh2je]

Other smart,talented, strong women. I wish more young girls choose her as a role model, not the usually famous celebrities .

[@queenoasis]

I guess all the budget went towards this because certain parts of the old museum are literally decaying.

[@katherandefy]

This was way too short. Fascinating. Humans as creators and explorers not cogs in the machine.

[@saullandiof5768]

as usual, the interviewee is 1000x more intelligent than the interviewer

[@arttegakademie]

❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉

[@justinleemiller]

With all due respect, her work should not be a model for anyone. Lots of conventional/bad ideas in all these projects.

[@ericaroth9978]

No mentioned of Gaudís influence who was pioneer in imitating nature?????😮

[@roberturibe3150]

The bedrock hotel and resort

[@lewstone5430]

This is hardly original. There are ancient cities, such as Derinkuyu in Turkey, ancient underground sites in Asia that may have been religious centers, and modern homes, that have been built and shaped inside mountains and stone hills or underground. I’m sure Jeanne Gang is a rockstar in the architecture world, and I like her skyscrapers, but this museums’ style looks already dated. Glass ceilings/walls, light, smooth surfaces and open space, is the future. This looks like a dark cavern with rough-hewn walls from the 70’s.

[@starshine3588]

Exactly….that’s what I’ve been saying. She is just copying everyone else from History and they want to report it like she’s something original just because she’s a woman. It’s just ridiculous. Everything she designed was done by a man at one time in many different countries.

[@shellysmith1037]

meh, been done before. It's retro. Copies of the 60's

[@susannpatton2893]

She got that from the Flintstones 😂😂😂😂. Its a Flintstones house

[@cshubs]

I like it, but it looks like it came from the Fred Flintstone school of architecture. It's a fresh change from glass & stainless steel.

[@andrewmakin8151]

birds make their nests because they are birds. termines make the nests of terminates. they don’t copy, get inspired by or appropriate other life forms, seeds, etc? they just be their true selves. why do humans think we get closer to nature by behaving [deisgning] precisely UNLIKE nature does? maybe we should direct our attention and incredible species intelegence towards getting to know ourselves, own species, better, so we can be and behave like/as ourselves, as nature does?

[@onlethebest]

With all do respect, no one comes close to zaha no one. RIP

[@michaeltrower741]

not even a nod of recognition of Zaha Hadid.

[@javierpacheco8234]

I don't like Zaha Hadid, to me my favorite Architects are Antoni Guadi or Louis Sullivan.

[@blablableh724]

meh

[@OhLookItsJonBoy]

Half a billion dollars to create a man-made cave.

[@Simone_85]

90’s love what I do now it depends on neuralink to ruin my mood

[@melaniamonicacraciun9900]

Gardening is regenerating and amusing, I was watching so many tips, those creative recycling wasted materials, when a flower pot looks like a sleeping beauty and vegetals are popping up from her brainless head is... amazing what architects fantasies can do. Covid warning should force people react, the human body self defences is weak, C Vitamin is crucial but no one of us is that lucky to eat two pounds of fruit every day, we drink instead one liter of water a day, that must be C Vitamin, no matter if fruit juice or veggies smoothie, but it's important to realize the problem, we all know what we have to do, these tips are famous since the end of times, about how much we have to be tied to the soil fertility and the healthy harvest for the body health, get in action everybody plizzzzzz, get smart and get ...green friends

[@woodenbeast9337]

speak out against crime in chicago

[@wwrk25]

Planet of the Apes movie set.

[@michaeltrower741]

Exactly. Almost identical.

[@lewstone5430]

Damn dirty ape!

[@samfilmkid]

This honestly just looks like the buildings from the original Planet of the Apes movie.

[@gusgus8134]

I think it's kinda ugly. It could be the Libra in me talking.🤔

[@mily178]

I mean that is awesome.... but is she the reason Manhattan is sinking? Venice again?

[@marksmales2204]

Planet of the Apes, meets modern day. :)

[@jamesNKYI3806]

It looks like 60s planet of the apes architecture.

[@rr7firefly]

We can say, with much certitude, that no CAD monkeys were involved in generating building documents for the non-orthogonal American Museum of Natural History. Gone are the X-Y-Z axes that form the spatial framework for most buildings.

[@hadikassar4046]

How do you think they built it then? 😂😂😂

[@rr7firefly]

​Funny to you? Maybe you don't know that it would require much more sophisticated program than regular CAD to generate complex curves? Take Gehry's buildings as an example: they use CATIA as an alternate resource. It is also possible that many of the design decisions for that interior were finessed onsite. It would not be the first time.

[@hadikassar4046]

But Catia is a CAD software... Unless you just meant autocad then yeah lol. But the CAD monkeys have been replaced by Grasshopper and revit monkeys and soon enough newer types lol

[@rr7firefly]

@@hadikassar4046 Yes, I was thinking of AutoCAD in my original comment. I worked in a few offices where everything was X-Y-Z. Me? I never learned that stuff. Much preferred to draw on paper, build models, and work in generating presentations in Graphic Design software.

[@ingtingbean]

Is she a democrat or republican?

[@javierpacheco8234]

Why does that matter? To be honest, I don't think architects have time to say what political spectrum they are in, they are more interested in their work. I don't think architecture should be political.

[@ingtingbean]

@@javierpacheco8234 It shouldn't be but it is, zoning, environmental consideration, public works and equity...

[@Seekthetruth3000]

How do we know she is a woman?

[@starshine3588]

Exactly! It’s funny how they couldn’t answer that yet then want to make whole segments based solely on “women” and how great they are. It’s also funny how everything this woman designed has been done before…by men….and that first building copied the Flintstones cartoon which copied ancient cave designs and mud and elephant dung structures.

[@eatpigsnot]

it was not mentioned but it appears she was influenced somewhat by Jacques Fresco and The Venus Project

[@AStateOfProgressive]

Someone watched Planet of the Apes.

[@phatato]

She's literally just copying the style of those Xanadu "home of the future" houses from the 80s en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Xanadu_Houses