"The architecture of George Nikolajevich exhibits a remarkable balance between restraint and expression. Working in St. Louis--far from the country's coasts of architectural fashion--and often limited to a conservative palette of materials, he has created a body of work that delivers modernist Èlan and formal invention.

The nature of Nikolajevich's work also flows from his position as a design principal in a large national firm. Nikolajevich has been encouraged to carve out a special niche turning his strength into a firm strength. In the process, he has designed an impressive number of buildings that combine a sense of Midwestern thrift and practicality with a flair for sophisticated design. As Nikolajevich's career has progressed, his architecture has developed a growing affinity to that of the great Finnish architects Erik Gunnar Asplund and Alvar Aalto. Like Asplund's work, Nikolajevich's buildings have a quiet sculptural quality that impresses us with their economy of means. Sometimes less is, indeed, more. And like Aalto, Nikolajevich has demonstrated a humanist's touch with simple materials, especially brick. He has also thought a great deal about the way buildings can work together to create a sense of community and how the spaces in between can be as important as any inside.

Nikolajevich's architecture demands your attention without hitting you over the head with architectural devices. At the same time, his buildings are easy to like; their warm brickwork, comfortable scale, and seductive formal gestures welcome everyone inside. While some modernist buildings are proud and aloof, Nikolajevich's works are proud and inviting." —Cliff Pearson