Callison Architecture (Seattle) has formed a global strategic alliance with two of the world's leading architecture firms. The new operation is called Insight Alliance. Callison's partners are Thompson, Ventulett, Stainback & Associates (Atlanta) and Wimberly Allison Tong & Goo (Honolulu).
Callison was ranked as the largest retail design firm in the industry in 2001, in VM+SD's annual design firm survey. The company had $62 million in revenues in 2000, $40.5 million of that from retail projects, and designed 9 million square feet of retail space. Similarly, TVS is seen as the world's largest designer of convention, conference and public assembly areas, and earned $53 million in 2000; and WATG is regarded as the world's largest designer of hotels and resorts, and earned $38 million in 2000. Among the three international companies, there is a presence in 10 major cities around the world, including Chicago, Los Angeles, Seattle, Atlanta, Honolulu, Amsterdam, London and Singapore. With its combined professional staff, Insight Alliance would rank as the fifth-largest architecture firm in the world, offering architecture, interior design, planning and consulting services to clients in more than 130 countries.
“Insight Alliance gives us access to a greater pool of expertise and talent,” said WATG ceo Ron Holecek, “and it gives clients access to a comprehensive, global network of world-class services that they would be hard-pressed to find from one shop.”
The Alliance's first project is Pointe Anaheim, a 30-acre mixed-use development of four hotels and 600,000 square feet of retail space that will offer pedestrian links to adjacent Disneyland. Other collaborative projects on the books include a 1.2 million-square-foot retail and entertainment property in Raleigh, N.C.; the renovation and repositioning of the Royal Hawaiian Shopping Center in Honolulu; expansion of the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center and a new convention hotel in New Orleans; and a retail store concept for Cingular Wireless.