Elia Zenghelis, a Greek architect who was a co-founder of the Office for Metropolitan Architecture (OMA) and one of the most influential architecture professors of the late 20th century, died on August 30, 2026, at the age of 89. His passing marks the loss of a figure whose influence on architectural thought extended far beyond the buildings he designed, shaping the intellectual development of many generations of architects throughout his decades of teaching in Europe and the United States.
Born in Athens in 1937, Zenghelis studied architecture at the Architectural Association School of Architecture (AA) in London, graduating in 1961. He worked at the firm Douglas Stephen and Partners until 1971, while simultaneously beginning his teaching career at AA in 1963. At this institution, he became a prominent voice advocating for a more radical and avant-garde architectural discourse, helping to turn AA into fertile ground for radical ideas.
In 1975, Zenghelis, along with Rem Koolhaas, Zoe Zenghelis, and Madelon Vriesendorp, founded the Office for Metropolitan Architecture. OMA became one of the most defining firms of its era, where Zenghelis played a central influential role during its formative years. He led OMA in London from 1980 to 1987 and OMA in Athens from 1982 to 1987, participating in projects such as the Expansion of the Dutch Parliament in The Hague (1978), residential buildings on Lützowstrasse for IBA Berlin (1981), and the competition for Parc de la Villette in Paris (1982).
In the early 1980s, his work underwent a shift, as a series of country houses on Antiparos, Greece, stimulated an affinity with Mediterranean and Aegean traditions, which critics at the time termed a transition 'from Manhattanism to the Mediterranean.' Nevertheless, Zenghelis continued to work within dense urban environments, particularly through OMA's contribution to IBA Berlin, including the residential block near Checkpoint Charlie, designed during the border crossing project. Alongside his architectural practice, Elia and Zoe Zenghelis created a series of paintings to illustrate OMA projects, many of which are in the collection of the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) in New York.
In 1987, Zenghelis left OMA to establish Gigantes Zenghelis Architects in partnership with Eleni Gigantes. The firm operated between London and Athens before opening a branch in Brussels. Among his most significant built works is the Youth House in Asikita (1996–1998) in Kumamoto, Japan, commissioned by Kumamoto ArtPolis. However, starting in 1992, Zenghelis gradually stepped back from active design practice, focusing on teaching, which became a central element of his professional life.
His academic career was extensive. In 1989, he was appointed to the professorship of Baukunst at the Kunstakademie Düsseldorf, succeeding James Stirling, and held this position until 2002. He taught at the Berlage Institute in the Netherlands, and also held teaching positions at institutions such as EPFL in Lausanne, ETH Zurich, and Accademia d'Architettura in Mendrisio. He was awarded the title of professor emeritus at the University of Hesse, Greece, and lectured at various institutions across Europe and the United States. At Yale School of Architecture, he served as a visiting professor to Davenport, and later as a visiting professor to Norman R. Foster. In 2000, the Royal Institute of British Architects honored him with the Annie Spink Award for excellence in education.