Largest architecture firms in the World [2020 update]

What are the largest architecture firms in the World?

As every year Building Design Online publish the annual survey of the world's largest architecture firms in terms of fee income and employees.

In 2020, the top positions remain unchanged compared to the previous year. Thus, on the podium of the largest architecture firms in the World, we can find Gensler (#1) and AECOM (#3): two renowned architecture firms we visited in London on the occasion of our London Festival of Architecture educational visits and during the London Design Festival.

Art Gensler, along with his wife Drue Gensler and their associate James Follett, founded the firm in 1965. They originally focused on corporate interiors, pioneering interiors for newly constructed office buildings. The architecture firm has since diversified into numerous forms of architecture and design, including commercial office buildings, retail centers, airports, education facilities, entertainment complexes, planning and urban design, mission-critical facilities, consulting, brand design, and other areas

Gensler grew rapidly with offices opening around the U.S. in the 1970s and 1980s and then overseas in the 1980s and 1990s. In 1988, the firm launched its first overseas office in London, followed by new offices in Tokyo and Hong Kong in 1993. In 2002, Gensler opened an office in Shanghai, establishing a permanent presence in China.

AECOM is an American multinational engineering firm, recently moved and headquartered in Los Angeles. They provide design, consulting, construction, and management services to an ever increasing number of clients. Named one of Fortune magazine's “World's Most Admired Companies” for the fourth consecutive year, AECOM designs a wide range of building types that each excel at their function, provide a high-quality environment for people, strengthen their client's brand and identity, conserve energy and water, and complement their contexts.

Sweco, listed in our “best architecture firms in Sweden” is the first among the top architecture firms based in Europe. The Swedish architecture firm has broad experience in architecture, design, urban planning and construction. Founded in 1958, they are today more than 1,300 architects working from offices in Denmark, Sweden, Germany, Finland, Poland, Belgium and Norway. With the combined strength of Sweco's 17,000 experts within architecture, engineering and environmental services, they can take on your project from design and planning to construction and site supervision. Sweco act in small teams close to you to ensure professional excellence in every project – no matter size. It's about creating value through architecture – to ensure a high quality of life in healthy cities by high-end design of places, spaces and buildings. Together with their clients, Sweco transforms communities and cities towards a sustainable future and reduced environmental impact.

Courtesy: Sweco

After the American and Asian hegemony, we can find other European architecture firms after the 18th ranking position: the Austrian architecture company ATP Architects Engineers (#19), gmp Architekten (#20) listed in our “Best architecture firms in Germany” and again another Swedish architecture firm, White Arkitekter (#21). Foster + Partners and BDP, the largest amongst the British ones, are in position number #24 and #27.

The first architecture firm from Norway is LINK arkitektur (33#). Their disciplines include architecture, interior design, landscape design and urban planning. This diverse expertise covers all areas of architecture, from the planning of extensive urban developments to product design. Amongst the largest architecture firms in the World we can even find in the ranking position number #43 IDOM, listed in our best architecture firms in Spain.

Courtesy: Link arkitektur

MVRDV the first Dutch architecture firm ranks 51#, the first Danish one is BIG Bjarke Ingels Group in position number 57#. The first French architecture firm is Valode & Pistre in position number 68# and the first Italian one is Progetto CMR (#79).

Nice to see our friends at Jestico + Whiles climbing the charts and ranking amongst the 100 largest architecture firms in the World.

The largest architecture firms in the World in terms of turnover and employees are:

Source: Building Design Online

Here below you can find all our other selections of top architecture companies in the World and in Europe:

• Best architecture firms in Denmark
• Best architecture firms in France
• Best architecture firms in Germany
• Best architecture firms in the Netherlands 
• Best architecture firms in Italy
• Best architecture firms in Spain
• Best architecture firms in Sweden
• Best architecture firms in Norway
• Best architecture firms in India
• Best architecture firms in Turkey

Cover image: ©Gensler / Ryan Gobuty