Venice Designer of Santa Monica Place Mall Honored

David Rogers, a Venice-based architect whose most recent works include the Santa Monica Place open-air shopping mall, has been named as one of 105 fellows of the American Institute of Architects in the design category.

Rogers is the co-design director of The Jerde Partnership, an international architecture and design firm based in Los Angeles.

“David has been one of the key creative visionaries at The Jerde Partnership for nearly 25 years. He has helped advance Jerde’s philosophy of placemaking – the art of making places where people love to go – and the experiential environments he has designed continue to bring life and energy to cityscapes around the world,” said Janice Jerde, chief operating officer of The Jerde Partnership, in a statement Tuesday. “We are delighted that David’s illustrious career and groundbreaking work has been recognized with this prestigious honor.”

The fellowship is bestowed upon a select number of architects who have made significant contributions to architecture and society on a national level. The American Institute of Architects has more than 80,000 members, but only 3,000 have been selected for the fellowship designation by their peers, according to information on their Web site.

Rogers joined The Jerde Partnership in 1988 and has been responsible for award-winning projects in the United States, Europe, Asia, the Midle East and North Africa. In the United States, he transformed five city block in old Las Vegas into the Fremont Street Experience, which has become a cornerstone in the redevelopment of the downtown area, his firm said in a release.

He also designed Beursplein in Rotterdam, The Netherlands, a commercial boulevard with a glass canopy design, and Zlote Tarasy, which brought new life into the city center of Warsaw. A Rogers project also is under construction in the Kuntsevo district of Moscow that combines retail, entertainment, office and residential to attract regional visitors, the release said.

Rogers has a Bachelor of Architecture from the University of Nebraska and a Master of Architecture from the University of Minnesota. Rogers and the other 104 AIA members elevated to fellows will be honored May 17 to 19 at the 2012 National AIA Convention in Washington, D.C.