Launch of Hong Kong Architectural Legacy Symposium Full Documentary

Mrs. Penelope Seidler

Penelope Seidler is both an architect and accountant and a cherished cultural philanthropist in the arts and architecture, within Australia and globally. She is a Director of Harry Seidler and Associates. Penelope has held positions on arts boards including the National Gallery of Australia, the Museum of Contemporary Art, New York’s Museum of Modern Art and the Venice Biennale. In 2001, she was awarded a Centenary Medal for service to Australian society in business leadership and was also appointed an Officer of the Order of Australia in 2026 for service to the preservation of cultural heritage, to visual arts organisations and to architecture. In 2011, she was made a Chevalier of the Legion d’Honneur by the French government and received an honorary Doctor of Letters from the University of New South Wales and in 2021 awarded Hon Doctor Architecture University of Sydney. She is the Design Trust “The Art of Movement” Honouree.

Harry Seidler & Associates is a closely knit team - a dedicated group of individuals, some of whom have collaborated effectively for more than 50 years. The firm has completed a great variety of buildings, from private residences, industrial buildings, hotels, high-rise offices and apartment buildings to regional developments providing a totally integrated environment. Most of these projects have been in Australia; however, the firm has also undertaken work in South East Asia, Central America and Europe, including a social housing complex consisting of some 850 apartments fronting the Danube in Vienna.

Dr. Henry Steiner and Mrs. Margaret Steiner

Dr. Henry Steiner is an Austrian designer, known for his work in creating branding for renowned Hong Kong-based companies, most notably the HSBC logo, the mythological creature series of banknotes for Standard Chartered Bank, and identities for Hongkong Land, the Hong Kong Hilton, Dairy Farm, and The Hong Kong Jockey Club.

Throughout his career, Steiner has paved the way for graphic design as a profession in the city by pioneering the expression of identity through branding, incorporating Eastern symbolism into Western graphic design. He has helped to create a new and relevant identity for the flourishing, mixed culture of Hong Kong. Steiner continues to work and employ a cross-cultural graphic language in his designs till this day. Steiner has been named Hong Kong Designer of the Year, a World Master by Japan’s Idea magazine, and was included in Icograda’s Masters of the 20^th Century in 2002. In 2006, he was awarded the Golden Decoration of Honor of the Republic of Austria for design achievement and service to the Austrian community in Hong Kong. Henry Steiner was honoured with the Design Trust Legacy Award in 2021.

Mrs. Margaret Steiner was formerly the Head of the Graphic Design Department at HSBC. She worked with famous Dr. Henry Steiner on the rebranding of HSBC logo Commission: Steiner was engaged to create a consistent corporate identity for the bank in 1979, with the final design created in 1983.

Mr. David Nelson

David Nelson is Foster + Partners’ Senior Executive Partner, Head of Design and a member of the Design Board, a position he has held since 2004. Throughout his long career with Foster + Partners, he has played a key role in shaping its creative and operational direction. He has been involved in some of the practice’s most recognisable buildings, from the Hongkong and Shanghai Bank Headquarters to Apple Park in Cupertino, as well as high profile projects in China, Singapore and Korea. His understanding of the studio’s evolution, his open, collaborative mindset and continued leadership role has made David a key figure in Foster +Partners’ evolution; he also brings a global perspective, gained from living in Hong Kong and travelling extensively to construction sites and projects across the world.

Mr. Donald Choi

Donald Choi is currently the Managing Director and Deputy Chairman of the Urban Renewal Authority, and possesses over 40 years of experience as architect and developer globally. He is currently an Adjunct Professor at the University of Hong Kong, Board Chairperson of the Construction Innovation and Technology Application Centre, President of Hong Kong Institute of Real Estate Administrators, Director of the Hong Kong Design Center, Director of Habitat for Humanity, member of the Council for Carbon Neutrality and Sustainable Development, and an Advisor of Our Hong Kong Foundation. He served as the CEO of Chinachem Group from 2018 to August 2024 before his retirement. Prior to this, he was the Managing Director of the Nan Fung Group and a Director at Foster + Partners. He was the Authorized Person for the CLK HK International Airport, voted one of the Top 10 construction projects of the 20th Century. He was awarded the Executive of the Year Award 2021 by DHL-SCMP and won the CEO of the Year Award 2022 given by Real Estate Asia. Donald received the Bachelor of Architecture degree from the Rhode Island School of Design in 1982 and Master’s degrees from the Chinese University of Hong Kong, the London Business School, the University of Hong Kong, and Columbia University.

Mr. Rocco Yim

Dr. Rocco Yim was born and educated in Hong Kong, and is currently Principal of Rocco Design Architects Associates Ltd. Since winning a First Prize Award for the L’Opéra de la Bastille international competition in 1983, his works have consistently been awarded both in Hong Kong and overseas.  Accolades include ARCASIA Gold Medals, Kenneth F. Brown Award, Chicago Athenaeum Architectural Awards, WAF category winner, ULI Global Award, German Design Council Iconic Awards and the Plan Award.

Rocco is a regular invited speaker in local and international symposia, including keynote speakers at WAF 2014 and UIA World Congress 2021. He also held a solo exhibition at the Aedes Architecture Forum in Berlin in 2013. Rocco’s work has been published in four monographs, from The City in Architecture in 2002 to Reconnecting Cultures in 2013. "Learning from Hong Kong?" will be published in late 2024. He was Design Trust Heritage Innovator Award Honouree 2024.

Prof. Cole Roskam

Cole Roskam is Professor of Architectural History in the Department of Architecture at the University of Hong Kong. His research explores architecture's role in mediating exchange between China and other parts of the world. In addition to numerous articles and essays, he is the author of two books, including Improvised City: Architecture and Governance in Shanghai, 1843-1937 (University of Washington Press, 2019) and Designing Reform: Architecture in the People's Republic of China, 1970-1992 (Yale University Press, 2021). Cole Roskam is the academic advisor for Design Trust Exhibition 2026: “The Art of Movement” and has contributed the essay “One the Move”. He also serves as Design Trust Greater Bay Area Design Council Advisor.

Ms. Florence Chan

Florence Chan is an architect with extensive experience in China and the US. She serves as a Principal at KPF's Hong Kong office, part of an internationally acclaimed architectural practice headquartered in New York with projects spanning the globe. In her leadership role, Ms. Chan oversees the firm's operations across China and the Asia Pacific region, bringing extensive expertise in the delivery of highly complex, large-scale mixed-use developments. Her distinguished portfolio of completed projects includes Victoria Dockside and Hysan Place in Hong Kong, Ping An Finance Center in Shenzhen and Chow Tai Fook Finance Centre in Guangzhou. She served as the President of American Institute of Architects (AIA) Hong Kong Chapter in 2022 and she currently sits on the Board of Council of Vertical Urbanism Hong Kong Chapter.

Mr. Hardy Lok

Hardy Lok is a prominent Hong Kong construction industry veteran, Managing Director of Sun Co Ltd, and known for his role as Founder member of Hong Kong Pei Hua Education Foundation, Chairperson of the Society for the Protection of the Harbour. Hardy is alongside his late Father, The construction of the iconic HSBC Main Building in Hong Kong (1980-1986) was carried out by the John Lok / Wimpey Joint Venture to create the 180-meter, 47-storey building designed by Norman Foster, featuring a unique modular design with steel modules prefabricated in the UK.

Ms. Angharad McCarrick

Angharad McCarrick is an Archivist raised in Hong Kong. She is responsible for the HSBC's archives across the Asia-Pacific region. After qualifying as an Archivist in 2010, she worked for Dyson, Swire and M+ before joining the HSBC’s archive team in 2022.

Mr. Bryant Lu

Bryant Lu is the Vice Chairman of Ronald Lu & Partners, the firm established by his father in 1976, which he joined in 2000. He took charge of the firm’s expansion into mainland China; while making RLP Asia to be a leader in sustainability architecture in Hong Kong.  Establishing the firm’s design ethos as human centric, future-ready while honouring the local culture and heritage, he will share on the role they play in the HK newest building:

The Henderson, a 36-storey office tower located in the heart of Hong Kong’s central business district, Ronald Lu & Partners in collaboration with Zaha Hadid Architects. This case study and its relationship to the Central, and advancing technology of Architecture.

Dr. Eric Schuldenfrei

Eric Schuldenfrei served two complete terms as the Head of the Department of Architecture at the University of Hong Kong, from 2018 to 2024. Receiving his PhD from the University of Cambridge, he has taught at Princeton, Columbia, and the Architectural Association. His most recent book, The Films of Charles and Ray Eames: A Universal Sense of Expectation, focuses on architecture, politics, cinema, and education. Schuldenfrei served as the Curator of Exhibition, Education, Film, and Media for the 2009 Hong Kong & Shenzhen Biennale and has presented his work at DLD in Moscow on the topic of Future Cities, at the V&A museum, Harvard University AsiaGSD series, the University of Cambridge, and the Royal College of Art in London. Together with Marisa Yiu, Schuldenfrei founded ESKYIU – a multi-disciplinary architecture studio integrating culture, art, community and technology. They have been awarded the “Architectural League Prize” and “Design Vanguard” as well as edited the books Instant Culture and Industrial Forest together. He also serves as Design Trust Greater Bay Area Design Council Advisor.