| 1 | Name: | Ms. Billie Tsien | |
| Institution: | Tod Williams Billie Tsien Architects | ||
| Year Elected: | 2017 | ||
| Class: | 5. The Arts, Professions, and Leaders in Public & Private Affairs | ||
| Subdivision: | 502. Physicians, Theologians, Lawyers, Jurists, Architects, and Members of Other Professions | ||
| Residency: | Resident | ||
| Living? : | Living | ||
| Birth Date: | 1949 | ||
Billie Tsien and Tod Williams formed their New York-based collaborative practice in 1986. Their studio of about 35 people is known for successfully combining theory and practice, architecture, and the fine arts. The firm’s work emphasizes the importance of place and materials. Williams and Tsien have been the architects for many notable projects including the Barnes Foundation campus in Philadelphia, the Neurosciences Institute in La Jolla, California, the Desert House in Phoenix, Arizona, the David Rubenstein Atrium in New York City, and the Center for Advancement of Public Action at Bennington College in Vermont. The magnificent Barnes Foundation building and grounds honor the legacy of Dr. and Mrs. Barnes and the core educational mission of the Foundation through a series of spaces that maintain the intimate character of the gallery while allowing for greater access to the collections and programs. In June, the Obama Foundation selected Tsien and Williams as the architects for the Obama Presidential Center, a combination library and museum to be built in Chicago. The foundation said that the two architects “stood out in their commitment to explore the best ways of creating an innovative center for action that inspires communities and individuals to take on our biggest challenges.” In 2021 Billie Tsien was appointed to President Biden's Commission on Fine Arts. | |||