A. Eugene “Gene” Kohn, AR’53, GAR’57, a member of the University of Pennsylvania Board of Trustees, as well as the architect who designed the Wharton School’s Jon F. Huntsman Hall, died March 9, 2023 of pancreatic cancer. He was 92.

Mr. Kohn was born and raised in Philadelphia. Between earning his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in architecture at Penn in 1953 and 1957 respectively, Mr. Kohn served on active duty in the United States Navy, then later for five years on reserve duty, retiring as a Lieutenant Commander. After completing his education, he worked at several architectural firms in Philadelphia and New York, including Vincent G. Kling, Architects; Welton Becket & Associates; and John Carl Warnecke & Associates, where he served as president.

In 1976, he co-founded Kohn Pedersen Fox with colleagues William Pedersen and Sheldon Fox, AR’53. As president and chairman, Mr. Kohn shaped KPF into one of the top 10 architectural and planning firms in the United States and one of the most prolific designers of skyscrapers in the world, receiving more than 300 design awards. He and his firm designed extraordinary buildings across the country and around the world, like Philadelphia’s Mellon Bank Center and the award-winning One Logan Square, originally home to the Four Seasons Hotel, and the Shanghai World Financial Center, one of the world’s tallest buildings. At Penn, he designed the Wharton School’s distinctive Huntsman Hall, which opened in 2002.

Mr. Kohn served as a Trustee at Penn from 1991 to 1996. He served on the Trustees’ committees on Facilities and Campus Planning and Internationalization. He chaired the Weitzman School of Design Board of Advisors from 1991 to 1996. At the Weitzman School of Design, Mr. Kohn worked to nurture connections between the school and the New York architectural community, to recruit members to its Board of Advisors, and to support Penn students’ educational experiences and careers. He hosted student shows in his gallery, hired Weitzman School graduates, and once mounted an exhibition on the design of high-rise buildings for Penn students.

Mr. Kohn supported the Louis I. Kahn Architecture Professorship; endowed the William B. and Hannah S. Kohn and A. Eugene Kohn Endowed Fellowship in Architecture honoring his parents; and also established an annual lecture series with his colleagues. He served on the Furness Library Restoration Committee, which helped restore and renew one of Penn’s greatest architectural landmarks, now known as the Fisher Fine Arts Library.

Mr. Kohn was named an advisor emeritus of the Weitzman School of Design and received the school’s prestigious Dean’s Medal of Achievement in Architecture. He also received the Kanter Tritsch Medal for Excellence in Architecture and Environmental Design from the Weitzman School in 2019; Penn’s Alumni Award of Merit, the highest award given by Penn Alumni in recognition of outstanding service, in 2010; and the Lifetime Achievement Award of the Wharton Real Estate Center in 1997. A reading alcove at the Fisher Fine Arts Library bears his name.

Mr. Kohn lectured on contemporary architecture before audiences in professional, civic, and educational settings around the world. He served as a visiting critic and guest lecturer at several universities, including Penn, and taught at Harvard University, where he also helped establish the Harvard International Real Estate Center. He wrote numerous articles and book chapters on architectural topics. In 2019, he published his memoir, The World by Design: The Story of a Global Architecture Firm, written with Clifford Pearson.

He is survived by his wife, Barbara Shattuck Kohn; his children, Brian, Laurie, and Steven; nine grandchildren; and extended family.

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