What are the largest firms in the World?

As every year Building Design Online publish the annual survey of the world's 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 , 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.

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.

At the second place, , the renowned Japanese architecture firm based in Tokyo founded more than 115 years ago. They developed into a professional service firm in architecture, city planning and environmental fields with 1,900 staff members, and more than 2,400 people in Nikken Group as a whole.

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.

sweco best architecture firms in sweden

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), (#20) listed in our “Best architecture firms in Germany” and again another Swedish architecture firm,  (#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 (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

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 (#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:

Architecture firm                            Country                      Employees      Fee Income          
1 Gensler USA 2817
2 Nikken Sekkei Japan 1910 $500-599m
3 AECOM USA 1637 $600-699m
4 HDR USA 1590 $400-499m
5 Sweco Sweden 1200
6 IBI Group Canada 870
7 Aedas China 821 $240-249m
8 HKS USA 777 $260-269m
9 Perkins and Will USA 762 $600-699m
10 Perkins Eastman USA 752 $270-279m
11 DLR Group USA 706 $270-279m
12 Heerim Architects & Planners South Korea 649 $180-189m
13 CannonDesign USA 645 $170-179m
14 DP Architects Singapore 644
15 SmithGroup USA 608 $210-219m
16 Haeahn Architecture South Korea 597 $100-109m
17 Stantec Canada 573 $330-339m
18 Nihon Sekkei Japan 542 $170-179m
19 ATP Architects Engineers Austria 535 $100-109m
20 gmp Architekten Germany 497 $90-99m
21 HOK USA 492 $300-309m
22 White Arkitekter Sweden 487 $80-89m
23 ZGF Architects USA 476 $130-139m
24 BDP UK 466 $80-89m
25 RSP Singapore 458 $80-89m
26 HPP Architekten Germany 454 $60-69m
27 Foster + Partners UK 452 $200-209m
28 Arcplus Group China 432 $600-699m
29 NBBJ USA 407 $170-179m
30 Kume Sekkei Japan 406 $120-129m
31 Mitsubishi Jisho Sekkei Japan 370 $190-199m
32 ASYA Philippines 346 $10-19m
33 LINK arkitektur Norway 339 $60-69m
34 P&T Group China 327 $110-119m
35 DLN Architects China 325
36 LWK & Partners China 322 $80-89m
37 Kunwon South Korea 312 $100-109m
38 EHAF Consulting Engineers UAE 310 $50-59m
39 Allford Hall Monaghan Morris UK 297 $50-59m
40 National Engineering Bureau UAE 279 $60-69m
41 Chapman Taylor UK 277 $40-49m
42 Dewan Architects + Engineers UAE 272 $60-69m
43 IDOM Spain 271 $50-59m
44 Ronald Lu & Partners China 270 $60-69m
45 Aidea Philippines 265 $10-19m
45 Lemay CO Canada 265 $80-89m
47 PBK USA 260 $110-119m
48 Architectus Australia Australia 252 $40-49m
48 KEO Kuwait 252 $170-179m
50 AXS Satow Japan 251 $80-89m
51 MVRDV Netherlands 250 $30-39m
52 Bates Smart Australia 238 $40-49m
53 Leigh & Orange China 233 $60-69m
54 Corgan Associates USA 227 $130-139m
55 DSP Design Associates India 221 $10-19m
56 Wong Tung & Partners China 217 $50-59m
57 BIG Bjarke Ingels Group Denmark 213 $60-69m
58 B+H Architects Canada 205 $50-59m
59 GHD Woodhead Australia 201 $60-69m
60 Broadway Malyan UK 200 $40-49m
60 Wilmotte & Associйs France 200 $40-49m
62 Archetype Group Vietnam 199 $20-29m
63 UK 186 $40-49m
63 Aukett Swanke UK 186 $20-29m
65 CCDI Group China 183 $40-49m
66 UK 181 $30-39m
67 Nordic Office of Architecture Norway 180 $30-39m
68 France 177 $30-39m
69 Jaspers-Eyers Architects Belgium 172 $20-29m
70 Page USA 169 $160-169m
71 Itten + Brechbuehl Switzerland 162 $50-59m
72 Visionarch Philippines 160 $5-9m
73 Surbana Jurong Singapore 159 $50-59m
74 10 Design China 158 $30-39m
75 Henning Larsen Denmark 157 $40-49
76 Denmark 154 $40-49m
77 UNStudio Netherlands 150 $30-29m
78 SSH Bahrain 148 $70-79m
79 Progetto CMR Italy 147 $10-19m
80 CP Kukreja Architects India 140 $5-9m
80 Morphogenesis India 140 $5-9m
82 GF & Partners Philippines 134 Under $5m
83 A26 Architectures France 130 $20-29m
84 Sikka Associates India 128 $5-9m
85 UK 125 $20-29m
86 UK 122 $20-29m
86 UK 122 $20-29m
88 Leo A Daly USA 119 $110-119m
89 UK 115 $20-29m
90 AHR UK 111 $20-29m
91 Diamond Schmitt Architects Canada 110 $20-29m
92 Spain 108
92 Squire & Partners UK 108
94 Saraiva + Associados Portugal 106 $20-29m
95 Hames Sharley Australia 104 $20-29m
96 Purcell UK 102
97 Gulf Consult Kuwait 82 $40-49m
98 Boogertman + Partners South Africa 72 $10-19m
98 Warren and Mahoney New Zealand 72 $30-39m
100 Jestico + Whiles UK 70 $10-19m
Source: Building Design Online

 

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

 

 

 

 

Cover image: ©Gensler / Ryan Gobuty