Bill Hellmuth promoted to CEO at architecture studio HOK
Bill Hellmuth has officially taken over as the new CEO of global architecture practice HOK as part of a planned succession process which also sees his predecessor Patrick MacLeamy become the company’s chair.
Hellmuth’s promotion, which completes a reshuffle first announced in January this year, marks the first time since 1990 that the firm has been led by a design principal.
In a statement, the studio said the promotion “signals a renewed emphasis on design thinking and innovation” and praised Hellmuth for his “special insight on managing the creative process – balancing the art and the business to generate the best design solutions and most value for clients.”
The architect, who has served as HOK president since 2005, is based in the studio’s Washington offices.
“Design excellence will define our future,” said Hellmuth. “I joined HOK in 1991 for the opportunity to be part of a practice that had the opportunity to do the best design work of its time. We’re now creating design solutions that address some of the world’s greatest challenges.
“We’ll continue broadening the scope of our creativity and problem solving and using design thinking to strengthen our design culture. This will continue to attract the best people and clients to HOK.”
Ongoing HOK projects include the Porsche Cars North America Experience Center and Headquarters in Atlanta, the Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta and the New Palau Blaugrana arena in Barcelona.
Hellmuth and HOK were profiled in the very first issue of CLADmag.
Bill Hellmuth HOK CEO architecture design Patrick MacLeamyNFL team Miami Dolphins revamping stadium with major HOK-designed rooftop canopy
HOK design 'first-of-a-kind' Atlanta Hawks training and sports medicine centre
EXCLUSIVE: Lead architect on FC Barcelona's Palau Blaugrana project reveals details of mixed-use project and how sports design is changing
Barcelona FC unveil New Palau Blaugrana and set out plans for €600m sports district
HOK win architecture competition to design multi-sports arena for Barcelona FC
FEATURE: CLAD people – Bill Hellmuth
OMA completes New Museum transformation with landmark expansion and Oberon restaurant
OMA has completed a major transformation of New York's New Museum, creating a larger cultural campus that combines expanded exhibition spaces with learning, performance, hospitality and public programming. The latest addition, Oberon, extends the visitor experience beyond the gallery, reflecting a growing trend for museums to become all-day destinations.
The New Museum in New York has entered a new chapter with the completion of a major
David Rockwell creates immersive magic destination, The Hand and The Eye
Montana Heritage Center by Cushing Terrell opens after US$107 million investment
Universal launches new theme park model with Kids Resort
'Minor wellness hotels' recorded the strongest growth across top KPIs in 2025, finds RLA Global
Great Barrier Reef attraction set for AU$180 million reinvention
Fairmont Cheshire, The Mere, has architecture by Leach Rhodes Walker and interiors by Bergman Design House.
Marriott International partners with Fitwel for wellness solutions across its residential portfolio
Preidlhof Luxury DolceVita Resort to unveil new spa in February 2027
Places Leisure is working with Roberts Limbrick to build £60m wellness flagship in Basingstoke
Hoshino Resorts opens Kai Kusatsu as it expands the Kai onsen ryokan brand
Qiddiya and Populous share details of Saudi Arabia’s National Tennis Centre
Disney confirms US$30 billion investment programme as it highlights its economic impact
Until combines multiple disciplines at new Canary Wharf club
Sea Lanes opens following a partnership between The Eden Project and Canary Wharf Group
Bas Smets brings water and wilderness to Vitra
Expo 2030 Riyadh will create a permanent global destination
Luxury resort coming to Hunter Valley will have longevity spa
'Data chocolate', dreams made real and artworks shaped by visitors’ emotions: Refik Anadol’s AI art museum launches in Los Angeles
London Museum reveals 2026 opening date for new Smithfield home
BIG unveils Eve Music Hall as Croatia venue nears completion
Bob Rogers hands BRC to long-serving leadership team
Palazzo di Varignana launches family wellbeing and longevity retreat in Emilia Romagna
Anasa Wellness and Spa debuts at Patmos Aktis as it joins Marriott
Design-led Koru Health Club combines high-performance training with recovery
Wellness care hospital opens in Vilnius with innovative spa and hospitality concept
Universal and Puy du Fou projects point to rise of Oxford–Cambridge corridor
A proposed Puy du Fou development near Bicester and Universal Destinations and Experiences’ planned resort in Bedford are emerging as part of a wider transformation of the Oxford–Cambridge Growth Corridor into a major centre for UK leisure and tourism investment.
For years, the corridor has been associated primarily with science, technology, housing and university-led economic growth. However, the clustering of large-scale visitor attraction projects along the
All-inclusive eco-wellness development Auko to open near Vietnam’s Son Doong caves
Shedd Aquarium upgrades its visitor experience with new Immersion Theater
Shedd Aquarium has opened the Immersion Theater developed in partnership with SimEx-Iwerks, as part of a wider strategy to enhance the guest experience and create additional revenue opportunities.
The attraction has transformed the aquarium’s Phelps Auditorium into a multi-sensory venue combining panoramic projection, environmental effects and interactive technology.
A new pre-show area allows visitors to engage with augmented reality marine animals before entering the
Mandarin Oriental announces standalone Mansions-branded residences for Abu Dhabi
Designed to restore neglected land and renew the identity of Iraq’s capital city, Baghdad Sustainable Forests promises a new way of living surrounded by nature. Gensler’s Ian Mulcahay tells us why he thinks the project could become a model for the repair and enhancement of urban centres




















