Christner Architects

Christner Architects Our firm excels in complex projects across diverse markets, delivering creative, timeless design solutions for iconic St. Louis institutions & beyond.

Services:
Architecture, Strategic Planning, Campus Master Planning, Interior Design, Landscape Architecture, Environmental Graphic Design and Urban Design

Markets include:
Healthcare, Higher Education, K-12 Education, Law Firms, Civic/Municipal, Corporate, Government, Conservatories, Butterfly Houses, Museums, and Community Centers.

Hopefully you’ve heard the news: our Christner Architects team has officially joined the CannonDesign family. Together, ...
10/22/2025

Hopefully you’ve heard the news: our Christner Architects team has officially joined the CannonDesign family. Together, we’re expanding our reach, deepening our roots in St. Louis and strengthening our shared commitment to creating design solutions that make a lasting difference in our communities.

As part of this next chapter, we’re consolidating our social accounts, so all updates and project news will now be shared from CannonDesign’s account. Follow along there — and feel free to connect with any of our teammates directly to stay in the loop on what’s happening here in St. Louis and beyond.

We’re looking forward to staying in touch!

It is with sadness that we announce the recent passing of our founder, Theodore C. Christner, AIA at the age of 92. Ted ...
09/18/2025

It is with sadness that we announce the recent passing of our founder, Theodore C. Christner, AIA at the age of 92. Ted established Theodore Christner & Associates in 1963 and guided the firm for more than four decades, shaping it into an architectural practice recognized for its design and technical excellence.

Ted’s professional career included significant projects for universities, healthcare institutions, corporations and civic organizations, including many that have become enduring landmarks throughout St. Louis and beyond. A few of his most notable projects include the St. Mary’s Hospital Chapel, the McDonnell Douglas Product Innovation and Flight Simulation Facility, the Temperate House at the Missouri Botanical Garden, the Sophia M. Sachs Butterfly House, the Center of Clayton, the Jewel Box Restoration in Forest Park, and the Interfaith Chapel and MetroLink Station at St. Louis Lambert International Airport.

Ted’s humble dedication to St. Louis has been a constant thread through the history of the firm. To this day, honoring Ted has always meant upholding his legacy of creating exceptional spaces that are imbued with meaning and purpose for our clients.

https://christnerarchitects.com/blog/ted-christner-1932-2025/

We’re thrilled to announce that Christner Architects is now part of CannonDesign. By coming together, we're doubling dow...
09/10/2025

We’re thrilled to announce that Christner Architects is now part of CannonDesign. By coming together, we're doubling down on a shared commitment to elevating design excellence across St. Louis and amplifying our ability to provide deeply meaningful and impactful design solutions for our community.

For more than 60 years, our team has shaped the fabric of St. Louis and the region through some of the area’s most recognizable and enduring projects. Joining CannonDesign allows us to build on that legacy with greater scale, deeper expertise and broader reach, while staying true to the relationships and community connections that define us.

Learn more about this merger of design talent here: https://christnerarchitects.com/blog/designing-our-next-chapter-christner-architects-joins-cannondesign

It is with profound sadness that we share the passing of our colleague and friend, Michael Browning who died after a pro...
08/08/2025

It is with profound sadness that we share the passing of our colleague and friend, Michael Browning who died after a prolonged battle with leukemia. Michael was an integral part of the Christner team, bringing extraordinary talent, dedication, and genuine warmth to every project and individual he encountered. He was an exceptional person, and he will be dearly missed.

More information about the upcoming arrangements will be shared in the near future.

✨Project Spotlight✨Project: Center of Creative Arts Renovation and ExpansionClient: Center of Creative ArtsCompleted: 20...
07/30/2025

✨Project Spotlight✨

Project: Center of Creative Arts Renovation and Expansion
Client: Center of Creative Arts
Completed: 2020
Photography: Samuel Fentress and Documodern

A renovation and 52,000 square foot expansion of COCA’s historic Erich Mendelsohn building balances contextual sensitivity to the original building with a distinct new expression, embodying COCA’s mission of enriching lives and building community through the arts. Designed by Christner and built by S.M. Wilson, the project expanded COCA’s ability to serve students and the St. Louis artist community with the addition of new studios, community spaces, and a 450-seat theater, while preserving important neighborhood relationships.

🏅2024 AIA Central States Merit Award for Architecture
🏅2020 AIA St. Louis Distinguished Award for Architecture

✨Intern Spotlight✨Today marks our architectural interns' first full month with us, and we are delighted to have these am...
06/30/2025

✨Intern Spotlight✨

Today marks our architectural interns' first full month with us, and we are delighted to have these ambitious and talented designers join our team for the summer! Both Bedgid and Lydia are graduate students at Washington University, pursuing their M.Arch degrees.

In addition to their contributions to several ongoing projects and proposals, they have been busy working on this year's intern research project, "Exploring Artificial Intelligence in Architectural Practices", enhancing our understanding of what the future holds for our profession!

May Recap! 1: Steinberg Pavilion Groundbreaking Ceremony! We’re so excited to see this project coming to life for such a...
05/30/2025

May Recap!
 
1: Steinberg Pavilion Groundbreaking Ceremony! We’re so excited to see this project coming to life for such an iconic St. Louis institution in Forest Park.
 
2–5: Our office came together to celebrate Alexandra, our Director of Landscape Architecture, as she and her husband prepare to welcome their first child! Our social committee organized a garden-themed shower filled with flowers, snacks, gifts, games, and some fabulous cookies made by Ericka in our office. Congratulations to Alexandra and David as they embark on this new journey, and thank you to everyone who helped organize such a lovely afternoon!
 
6–7: Our Interiors group representing at the IIDA IDEA Awards and an STL City SC game!
 
8: This month, we welcomed two summer interns: Bedgid and Lydia! We kicked things off with a happy hour and a couple of games at Pin-Up Bowl to celebrate their arrival, learning quickly that “synchronized bowling” is a surefire way to guarantee one person gets a strike and the other a gutter ball. Lesson learned: synchronize with caution—you’re flipping a coin!
 
9–10: Lastly, and importantly, in the aftermath of the mid-month tornado that struck our city, many of our employees have been volunteering and collecting donations for disaster relief organizations. These images were taken by Patricia from our office as she, Heather, and Julia worked with 4theVille to help organize and distribute supplies to affected residents. Weeks later, our city and community members remain in urgent need of support. For information on how to volunteer or donate, please see the links listed in our bio.

We had a busy April both inside and outside of the office! From office tours to awards ceremonies to happy hours, here i...
05/01/2025

We had a busy April both inside and outside of the office! From office tours to awards ceremonies to happy hours, here is our April recap:

1: Our second year of March Madness fun! We all submitted our brackets under an alias, and our winner - "Jimmy John" - was revealed during a happy hour at the Moonrise Hotel's Eclipse Restaurant Bar. Congratulations (and happy birthday!) to Eleanore, one of our fabulous interior designers. Eleanore won the pot, and Christner matched her prize with a donation to a charity of her choice: Equine Assisted Therapy!
2: Friend and colleague Michael Browning returned to the office this month to present on his experiences and insights receiving treatment for leukemia. It was wonderful to see Michael feeling well, heartening to learn about the ongoing breakthroughs in cancer research happening in St. Louis and beyond, and inspiring to hear just how much architecture can impact patients and doctors. Cheers to Michael!
3: Students from Washington University's College of Architecture visited the office with their Professional Development class to tour the office and hear a little bit about working in the industry!
4-5: Patricia, Alexandra, Steve, Ericka, Ashley, Junyi, Sam and Jeff from our office joined Hana and Katie from IMEG for the second design session of LitShop's Advanced Design+Build experience! The girls did a fantastic job working on drawings and models for a pergola that they will build over the summer at Carondelet Food Patch!
6: Missouri S&T held the groundbreaking ceremony for their new Bioplex building! Christner Architects has been working with ZGF Architects on this ambitious lab & classroom building and we are so excited to see construction taking off!
7: Christner Architects received the "Design Team of the Year" award at the 2025 HRM Awards Ceremony! Thank you to the Historic Revitalization for Missouri for this incredible honor!
8: Serving our community is a responsibility that we take seriously, and we were delighted to receive recognition from the St. Louis Business Journal's Corporate Philanthropy Awards!
9: Race for Refugees!
10: Lunch Bunch outing at Taco Buddha!

Looking forward to what May has to bring!

Thank you, March! You brought us warm weather and great memories. Some highlights from the month:1. Women's History Mont...
03/31/2025

Thank you, March! You brought us warm weather and great memories. Some highlights from the month:

1. Women's History Month: This month, we took special care in celebrating the hard-working, talented women that make up over 60 percent of our company! We couldn't get it done the way we do without them.
2. We celebrated Liz as she rang in her 40th year with Christner architects!
3-5. The social committee hosted a Pi Day Potluck, complete with Dewey's pizza and eight fabulous, homemade, and most importantly, ROUND desserts!
6. Several members of our team visited Maryville University to help conduct mock interviews with their Interiors students!
7-10. Capes for Kids: Ashley rallied a team together to participate in IIDA Gateway's "Capes For Kids" event, in support of "Friends of Kids with Cancer." In just one hour, they were able to put together this super fun Sour Patch Kids cape to adhere to this year's Candy theme!

Cheers to spring, and welcome April! Here's to hoping all of our photos for the near future are taken on the patio!

Today, we celebrate our very own Liz Phillips-Beeks , Shareholder and Director of Accounting, as she rings in her 40th y...
03/11/2025

Today, we celebrate our very own Liz Phillips-Beeks , Shareholder and Director of Accounting, as she rings in her 40th year with our firm–during Women’s History Month and with an in-house pancake breakfast, no less! Recently recognized in the St. Louis Business Journal’s “People on the Move” column, Liz is a shining example of perseverance, drive, and joy, setting the tone for our firm every day with her positive spirit and commitment to excellence. Thank you, Liz, and shoutout to Tiffany with Sun Kissed Catering for the delicious breakfast to celebrate!

Link to Liz's feature in the St. Louis Business Journal: https://www.bizjournals.com/stlouis/potmsearch/detail/submission/6555278/Liz_PhillipsBeeks

Address

621 N. Skinker Boulevard , Suite 220
St. Louis, MO
63130

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