Karl Fischer: Celebrity Architect in Montreal and NYC.
May 5, 2008 by Deyanira Bautista
Filed under Real Estate Celebrity
There’s absolutely no doubt that Karl Fischer’s work is smoking hot. His creations have been growing by the day in Montreal and New York City, with many other projects to come.
He’s been published in the New York Times and the Montreal Gazette. You can see some of his buildings in our city. Luxury condos in Old Montreal: and Le Themis. Also, the upcoming Le quartier parisien. Not to mention countless of projects completed in New York City.
Now, you may wonder: Who is this Karl Fischer guy? And why should I care?
The reason we are mentioning him here, apart from the fact that he is a great architect, is because he is also a Montrealer; graduated from McGill University. The same McGill in downtown Montreal. In fact, he runs his business in Canada out of a location in Old Montreal.
So we’ve seen some of his projects here, read about his accomplishments, but we’ve never gotten a look of what the person really is, what is behind his success. Up until a well-established real estate online publication posted an article about him.
In the article called: Inside the home of Karl Fischer, The Real Deal described Fischer as;
“Fischer has designed about two dozen buildings, including luxury condos, but there is nothing about the décor of his seventh-floor penthouse residence that would earn it a photo spread in Architectural Digest. Despite his success, Fischer said he feels uncomfortable with luxury, and the décor of his apartment echoes this sentiment. The 900-square-foot pied-à-terre (Fischer has a home in his native Montreal, as well as one in Vermont) is functional with no wasted space.”
“I don’t feel comfortable with luxurious things; it is just my nature,” said Fischer, a compact man of 59 with a salt-and-pepper beard and moustache. “I just like basic stuff.
“I have a standard Volkswagen; I don’t have to get a BMW,” he said.
There are countless of articles on Karl’s projects at Curbed.com, a New York based real estate blog. They have been following closely the progress of his developments for the last year and a half.
But, when Robert at curbed.com mentions: “That’s our Karl”. We would have to correct him. “No, no. That’s our Karl”
More on Karl Fischer at Curbed:
- Karl Fischer Stands Erect on Union Ave.
- Checking In on the Burg’s Luminous Condo Corner
- Greenpoint to Get Another Big Karl Fischer
More on Karl’s Montreal developments, coming soon – right here.
Stay posted:
Posted by: Deya Bautista - Affiliated Real Estate Agent working as part of the McGill Immobilier team. Specializing in condos and revenue property in the metropolitan area of Montreal. For buying or selling contact Deya at: 514.917.7889 
Um, actually, I think “Hot Karl,” as Curbed dubs his works, has become shorthand for ugly, soulless abominations deposited, like dog doo, on our streets with almost a willful disregard of others, particularly in Williamsburg/Greenpoint, Brooklyn. I imagine my grandchildren will look on those architectural defecations, if they’re still standing then, and wonder, as we do when regarding the few remaining bulwarks of brutalism: What the hell were they thinking? But I’ll say this in their defense: they are a perfect visual representation of the forces of gentrification buffeting those neighborhoods and leaving an urban suburbia in their wake.
Though you may think Karl Fischer has done a couple dozen projects in NY and Montreal, it is a lot closer to hundreds of projects. In NY alone in one part of Williamsburg, there were more than 35 projects. With the recession things are of course slowing down for all architects in NYC and Montreal. The money is not available for the owners and developers. Anyway, check out the real situation by going to the real articles on the buildings being built in Montreal and NYC by Karl Fischer. The Slate, 260 Park Avenue,
Fulton St, John Street, 19th St. all in Manhattan, Williamsburg, Green Point, Long Island City, The Power House, and on and on……………
Wow this guy is quite well know that side of the world, and its great that he is well liked. It would have been great to have had some of his work on display just to see what he has done, but an interesting post all the same