Manhattan hotel architect Constantine “Costas” Kondylis died Friday, Aug. 17 at the age of 78. He is survived by his two daughters, Alexia and Katherine.
Kondylis was a frequent partner of President Donald Trump in the development of his hotels, and his 50-year career included designing more than 86 buildings such as the Trump World Tower, the Atelier, One Morton Square and the W Hotel and Residences in South Beach, Fla.
Born in Central Africa, Kondylis was raised in Greece before coming to New York in the late 1960s. He earned his master’s in architecture from the University of Geneva in Switzerland, and attained a second master’s degree from Columbia University in 1967.
After college he worked first for Davis Brody & Associates before joining Philip Birnbaum & Associates. He launched his own firm, Costas Kondylis and Partners, nine years later. The firm lasted until 2009, when it was disbanded. He then formed Kondylis Design.
Over the years, Kondylis became known as the “developer’s architect,” and from 2000 to 2007 he was hired to design 65 buildings.
Services for Kondylis will be held in October, with details to be disclosed at a later date.