André Richardson King is an African American designer and architect. After completing his education at the

School of the Art Institute of Chicago The School of the Art Institute of Chicago (SAIC) is a Private university, private art school associated with the Art Institute of Chicago (AIC) in Chicago, Illinois. Tracing its history to an art students' cooperative founded in 1866, which gr ...

, he worked at

Skidmore, Owings & Merrill SOM, an initialism of its original name Skidmore, Owings & Merrill LLP, is a Chicago-based architectural, urban planning, and engineering firm. It was founded in 1936 by Louis Skidmore and Nathaniel Owings. In 1939, they were joined by engineer ...

before beginning his own firm. King was part of a group of African American designers who had successful careers throughout major Chicago firms after taking advantage of the

G.I. Bill The G.I. Bill, formally the Servicemen's Readjustment Act of 1944, was a law that provided a range of benefits for some of the returning World War II veterans (commonly referred to as G.I. (military), G.I.s). The original G.I. Bill expired in ...

to attend local design and art schools.

Early life and education

A Chicago native, King was born in 1931. After completing his military service is the United States Air Force, King took advantage of the G.I. bill to attend local design and art schools. After receiving a diploma in architecture from Chicago Technical College, King continued on the

University of Chicago The University of Chicago (UChicago, Chicago, or UChi) is a Private university, private research university in Chicago, Illinois, United States. Its main campus is in the Hyde Park, Chicago, Hyde Park neighborhood on Chicago's South Side, Chic ...

and the School of the Art Institute of Chicago where he graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in education in 1959.

Career

After graduation King joined the architecture firm Skidmore Owing & Merrill where he designed graphics, signage and informational systems. Primarily focusing on

environmental design Environmental design is the process of addressing surrounding environmental parameters when devising plans, programs, policies, buildings, or products. It seeks to create spaces that will enhance the natural, social, cultural and physical environm ...

and architectural graphics, his work for clients including Harris Trust Bank and

O'Hare airport Chicago O'Hare International Airport is the primary international airport serving Chicago, Illinois, United States, located on the city's Northwest Side, approximately northwest of the Loop business district. The airport is operated by the ...

made him a pioneer in this newly developing field. In addition to designing symbols for Harris Trust Bank and O'Hare airport, King also provided design services for the federal highway system Triangle Plaza off I-90, and Northwest Point Business Park in

Elk Grove Village Elk Grove Village is a village in Cook and DuPage counties in the U.S. state of Illinois. Per the 2020 census, the population was 32,812. Located northwest of Chicago along the Golden Corridor, the Village of Elk Grove Village was incorpor ...

where his gateway signs still stands today. After nearly three decades with SOM where he rose to the level of Associate Partner, King left and began his own firm ARK Andre´ Richardson King Designers. In addition to his own firm, King is a longtime member of the Society of Experiential Graphic Design and a member of the

American Institute of Architects The American Institute of Architects (AIA) is a professional organization for architects in the United States. It is headquartered in Washington, D.C. AIA offers education, government advocacy, community redevelopment, and public outreach progr ...

. King is currently an Honorary Consul of

Barbados Barbados, officially the Republic of Barbados, is an island country in the Atlantic Ocean. It is part of the Lesser Antilles of the West Indies and the easternmost island of the Caribbean region. It lies on the boundary of the South American ...

and has served as an honorary consul since 1974.

Recognition

King was featured in the 2018 exhibition ''African American Designers in Chicago: Art, Commerce and the Politics of Race'' which took place at the

Chicago Cultural Center The Chicago Cultural Center, opened in 1897, is a Chicago Landmark building operated by Chicago's Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events. The Cultural Center houses the city's official reception venue, where the Mayor of Chicago, M ...

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:King, André R. African-American architects 20th-century American architects 21st-century American architects 1931 births Living people Designers from Chicago School of the Art Institute of Chicago alumni Skidmore, Owings & Merrill people