A curator and critic based in Beijing for over 17 years, in 2019 Beatrice became the executive director of the Museum of Art, Architecture and Technology (maat), Lisbon. She is the former creative director of Beijing Design Week (2013-2016) and chief curator of the ongoing research program Across Chinese Cities featured at the Venice Architecture Biennale at the 2014, 2016 and 2018 editions. She is co-founder of B/Side Design which has spearheaded the establishment of The Global School, the first independent institute for design and creative research in the PRC. Her writings and projects have appeared in publications such as Artforum, Abitare, CNN Style, Domus, Dezeen, Disegno, Frieze, T Magazine (The NYTimes), The Good Life, among many others.
David Gianotten is the Managing Partner-Architect of OMA. As such, he is responsible for the overall organizational & financial management, business strategy, and growth of the company worldwide.
As Partner-in-Charge, David currently oversees the design and construction of various projects, including the Taipei Performing Arts Centre in Taipei, the Prince Plaza Building in Shenzhen, the newly completed KataOMA resort in Bali, the New Museum for Western Australia in Perth, the masterplan of Feyenoord City - including the architectural design of new Stadium Feijenoord for 63.000 spectators - in Rotterdam, and the Bajes Kwartier - a conversion of a large 1960’s prison into a new neighborhood with 1.350 apartments- in Amsterdam.
David has, amongst others, been responsible for the design and realization of the MPavilion 2017 in Melbourne and of the Shenzhen Stock Exchange headquarters in Shenzhen. He has also been responsible for the end stages of the realization of the CCTV headquarters in Beijing and OMA's conceptual masterplan for the West Kowloon Cultural District in Hong Kong.
David joined OMA in 2008, launched OMA's Hong Kong office in 2009, and became partner in 2010. He became OMA’s Managing Partner – Architect in 2015 upon his return to The Netherlands from Asia. Before joining OMA, he was Principal Architect at SeARCH in the Netherlands.
David studied Architecture and Architectural Engineering at the Eindhoven University of Technology where he received his Master-degree with honors. He is currently a professor at this same University at the Architectural Urban Design and Engineering department.
Franch is an architect. In 2004 she founded her solo practice while building in Catalonia. Since 2010, Franch is the Executive Director and Chief Curator of Storefront for Art and Architecture. Franch has taught at Columbia University, the IUAV University of Venice, SUNY Buffalo and at Rice University. At Storefront, her most recent projects include the launch of the global platform WorldWide Storefront and a new publication series in partnership with Lars Müller, In 2014, the State Department selected Storefront and Franch jointly with a curatorial and design team to represent the U.S. at the 2014 Venice Architecture Biennale with the project OfficeUS. She lectures internationally on art, architecture and the importance of alternative practices in the construction and understanding of public life.
Lars Nittve is an art historian, curator and writer. For almost thirty years he was the director of a number of major museums around the world, including but not limited to the Louisiana Museum of Modern Art, Denmark; Tate Modern, United Kingdom; Moderna Museet, Sweden and most recently M+, Hong Kong. Since the spring of 2016 he has, with his company Nittve Information Ltd, been an independent writer and advisor to museums and foundations worldwide based in the mountain resort Åre in northern Sweden.
Mr. LIU Xiaodu is a founding partner of URBANUS. He co-founded Urbanus with his partners MENG Yan and WANG Hui in 1999, now Urbanus has become one of the most influential architectural design firms in China. Urbanus developed its branches in Beijing, Shenzhen and Hong Kong. Many works have become new landmarks of urban life. The projects have received numerous prominent awards, exhibited and published worldwide. The partners are invited to lecture at influential academic institutions and as a juror for international competitions. He received his Bachelor of Architecture degree from Tsinghua University and Master of Architecture degree from Miami University.
Founding Partner of Neri&Hu Design and Research Office.
NHDRO is an inter-disciplinary international architectural design practice based in Shanghai, China. In 2014, Wallpaper* announced Neri&Hu as 2014 Designer of The Year. In 2013, Mr. Neri was inducted into the U.S. Interior Design Hall of Fame with partner Rossana Hu. The practice was selected as the 2011 INSIDE Festival Overall Winner, won AR Awards for Emerging Architecture 2010 by Architectural Review (UK) and one of the Design Vanguards in 2009 by Architectural Record (US). In 2006, Mr. Neri was selected by I.D. Magazine as one of the 40 designers globally who deserve more attention in “I.D. 40”. Mr. Neri received his Master of Architecture at Harvard University and his Bachelor of Architecture at the University of California at Berkeley. Mr. Neri is also designing products for brands including MOOOI, LEMA, Parachilna, Classicon, Gandia Blasco, Stellar Works, Meritalia, BD Barcelona Design, and neri&hu.
Executive Director, Design Miami/
Appointed as Executive Director of Design Miami/ in January 2014, Rodman Primack has spent his career immersed in the world of design and art, and has held leadership positions in every aspect of the market. He was most recently a Senior International Specialist at Phillips de Pury & Company in New York, and Chairman of the auction house’s London office from 2004 to 2010.
Rodman had previously served as a Director of the Gagosian Gallery in Beverly Hills, CA; Associate Vice President and Head Specialist of Latin American art for Christie’s, New York and Designer for Peter Marino Architect, New York. He served as the Director of Auctions for the online platform Paddle8 for the past two years, and also ran a successful design consulting practice, RP Miller.
A fifth generation Californian, Rodman resides in Miami and New York City.
托馬斯赫斯維克是一位英國設計師,在20多年多產的職業生涯中,他的作品類型廣泛, 因設計的新穎性和原創性而聞名於世。
托馬斯於1994年創建Heatherwick Studio,他一反傳統的設計學科分類,將設計、建筑與城市規劃等實踐融合在同一工作空間之中。目前公司正在進10個國家進行大約30個項目,其中包括上海一座30多萬平法米的商業綜合體千樹﹔谷歌在硅谷以及倫敦的總部(與BIG聯合設計)﹔以及新加坡樟宜機場新航站樓項目等(與KPF合作)。
最近完成的項目包括紐約哈德遜廣場中心的一座地標﹔南非開普敦賽斯當代非洲藝術博物館﹔以及倫敦國王十字街新建零售區。托馬斯獲頒之榮譽包括大英帝國司令勛章、皇家藝術學院院士,並在2004年成為最年輕的皇家工業設計師。
Curator, Design and Architecture, M+
Aric is Curator of Design and Architecture at M+, the new museum for visual culture being built in Hong Kong’s West Kowloon Cultural District. He previously served as Creative Director of Beijing Design Week, helping to successfully relaunch that event in 2011 and 2012. In addition, Chen has curated and organized numerous exhibitions and projects at museums, biennials and other events internationally, and has been a frequent contributor to publications including The New York Times, Monocle, Metropolis, Architectural Record and PIN-UP.
譚智恒, Head of Department, Communication Design Director, Centre for Communication Design
譚智恒 文字設計師、信息設計師、研究員、教育工作者。現職香港知專設計學院傳意設計學系系主任暨傳意設計研究中心總監。亦擔任上海大學上海美術學院字體設計工作室特聘研究員。歷任英國雷丁大學文字與圖像傳意學系副教授、信息設計碩士課程主任、藝術及傳意設計學院碩士課程總監;香港理工大學設計學院傳意設計學科主任、信息設計研究室創辦人兼主任;加拿大埃米利卡爾藝術設計大學助理教授等。譚氏的研究和教學專注於文字設計和信息設計之間的相互關係,尤其關注人們如何與複雜文本結構中找尋資訊並形成印象,特別是在多語言的語境中的文字設計。譚氏的另一個研究方向為覓路與導向系統,包括建築、城市空間和旅遊信息。他所領導研究和設計的三本香港旅遊指南獲香港設計中心「為亞洲設計大獎」兩項優異獎。2016年獲香港設計協會頒發「最佳設計教師獎」。譚氏的研究經常在不同場合發表,亦常為不同機構擔當顧問,包括微軟、蒙納、匯豐銀行等。
Zoë Ryan is the John H. Bryan Chair and Curator of Architecture and Design at the Art Institute of Chicago. A curator and author, her projects focus on exploring the impact of architecture and design on society. Her recent exhibitions include, In a Cloud, in a Wall, in a Chair: Modernists in Mexico at Midcentury (2019) and Past Forward: Architecture and Design at the Art Institute, a major installation of the modern and contemporary architecture and design collections (2017–ongoing). In 2017, she published As Seen: Exhibitions that Made Architecture and Design History, the first volume to explore in depth the important role that exhibitions have played in the history of these fields of practice.
Her past exhibitions include: Making Place: The Architecture of David Adjaye (2015), Fashioning the Object: Bless, Boudicca, and Sandra Backlund (2012), and Bertrand Goldberg: Architecture of Invention (2011). In 2014, she was the curator of the second Istanbul Design Biennial, The Future Is Not What It Used To Be. Ryan has taught graduate seminars on design history and theory at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago and the University of Illinois at Chicago. She is a member of the Design Trust International Advisory Council, Hong Kong.
Curator, Design and Architecture, M+
Aric is Curator of Design and Architecture at M+, the new museum for visual culture being built in Hong Kong’s West Kowloon Cultural District. He previously served as Creative Director of Beijing Design Week, helping to successfully relaunch that event in 2011 and 2012. In addition, Chen has curated and organized numerous exhibitions and projects at museums, biennials and other events internationally, and has been a frequent contributor to publications including The New York Times, Monocle, Metropolis, Architectural Record and PIN-UP.
譚智恒, Head of Department, Communication Design Director, Centre for Communication Design
譚智恒 文字設計師、信息設計師、研究員、教育工作者。現職香港知專設計學院傳意設計學系系主任暨傳意設計研究中心總監。亦擔任上海大學上海美術學院字體設計工作室特聘研究員。歷任英國雷丁大學文字與圖像傳意學系副教授、信息設計碩士課程主任、藝術及傳意設計學院碩士課程總監;香港理工大學設計學院傳意設計學科主任、信息設計研究室創辦人兼主任;加拿大埃米利卡爾藝術設計大學助理教授等。譚氏的研究和教學專注於文字設計和信息設計之間的相互關係,尤其關注人們如何與複雜文本結構中找尋資訊並形成印象,特別是在多語言的語境中的文字設計。譚氏的另一個研究方向為覓路與導向系統,包括建築、城市空間和旅遊信息。他所領導研究和設計的三本香港旅遊指南獲香港設計中心「為亞洲設計大獎」兩項優異獎。2016年獲香港設計協會頒發「最佳設計教師獎」。譚氏的研究經常在不同場合發表,亦常為不同機構擔當顧問,包括微軟、蒙納、匯豐銀行等。
Client Director, Cazenove Capital Management Asia
Andrew Au joined Cazenove Capital Management Asia in September 2014 as a Client Director. He is focused on servicing the family offices, foundations and charities in Hong Kong. Andrew was a research analyst with Cazenove Asia Limited (corporate broking) from 2000 to 2003 and from 2005 to 2010. He was responsible for the research of the Asia-Pacific Transportation and Infrastructure sectors and gained significant recognition from institutional clients. He joined his family business in 2010 where he helped to establish a family office and managed the family investments. Andrew graduated from Imperial College London with a Master of Engineering (Honours) degree in 1997 and began his career with Cathay Pacific in Hong Kong.
Founder, kapok
Born and raised in France, Arnault founded kapok in 2006 as an antidote to the perceived blandness of Hong Kong retail scene. kapok focuses on designers and brands whose work reflects his attitude towards quality craftsmanship and creativity in design. kapok has grown to a network of 7 stores in 2 countries : Hong Kong and Singapore.
Arnault has developed an extensive knowledge and understanding of the Asian consumer goods and retail environment since 1996, when he moved to Hong Kong. In 2001, he joined the team in charge of the development of the Lomography brand in Asia as the head of Southeast Asian operations. Arnault was also the co-owner and director of Working Unit Limited founded in 2005, the exclusive distributor for the Moleskine brand in Southeast Asia. He also brought to Hong Kong the first retail stores for Maison Kitsuné and l'Officine Universelle Buly.
Associate Professor, University of Hong Kong
Cole Roskam is an associate professor of architectural history and theory in the Department of Architecture at the University of Hong Kong, where he has taught since 2010. His research examines architecture's role in mediating moments of transnational interaction and exchange between China and other parts of the world. His articles and essays have appeared in AD (Architectural Design), Artforum International, Architectural History, Grey Room, and the Journal of the Society of Architectural Historians, among others.
Founding Partner, ESKYIU
Eric is a designer focused on the relationships between urbanism, architecture, and art. Together with Marisa Yiu he is a partner of ESKYIU, a studio that has been awarded the Architectural League Prize and featured in numerous biennales. Currently an associate professor at the University of Hong Kong, Schuldenfrei received his PhD from the University of Cambridge and has taught at Princeton, Columbia, and the Architectural Association. Schuldenfrei served as the Curator of Exhibition, Education, Film, and Media for the 2009 Hong Kong & Shenzhen Biennale and has presented his work at Harvard University AsiaGSD, Cambridge University, and the V&A Museum.
Executive Creative Director and Founder of GAA DESIGN FARM
After conducting his primary studies in Italy and Switzerland; his professional training began at the University of Florence where he focused his attention on courses in cultural sociology and anthropology.
As part of the 4th generation of ALESSI family, in 2002, he returned to Milan with a view to translating and applying his studies to industrial design, collaborating with Stefano Giovannoni and working freelance. Over the following years, he worked with companies such as ALESSI, PHILIPS, VITRA, FOREVERLAMP, OPPO, LENOVO both through experience within the companies themselves, and as an external consultant through his own studio, GAA Design Farm, founded in 2006.
In the following years his work (notably: POP-UP, LUMIERE, FLAME, ABATJOUR) was recognized with the 2008 and 2012 GOOD DESIGN™ AWARD, and was included in the permanent collection of the Museum of Architecture and Design in Chicago, "The Chicago Athenaeum".
Head of Public Relations, Cheil Greater China
Born in Hong Kong, Irene is currently the Head of Public Relations at Cheil Greater China, a marketing agency serving clients such as Samsung Electronics and Volkswagen Brand in China. During her 10 years at Cheil, the agency has grown to employ 800 people in Beijing, 100 people in Shanghai and 80 people in Hong Kong. The agency specializes in PR, ATL, digital, social, content and event marketing.
Previously, Irene was the founding editor of Perspective magazine, a monthly publication focusing on architecture and design. During her six years leading the editorial team at Perspective, she initiated and launched sister publications--- Perspective Plus, Interiors Plus and started the “40 under 40” Designer Awards, as well as Perspective Design Awards.
Another area which Irene has always been passionate about is in the arts. She is also currently working to promote emerging Korean artists in Hong Kong and China.
She is based currently based in Beijing and Hong Kong.
Principal, JTM Philanthropic Advisors
Jean T. Miao is Principal at JTM Philanthropic Advisors that specializes in helping family offices and private foundations achieve their goals through effective giving. More than two decades in the not-for-profit and philanthropic sector, she has a background in creating and expanding programs that promote cultural exchange, the arts, education,
health, and leadership development. Prior to founding JTM Philanthropic Advisors, Ms. Miao was based in Hong Kong working for the Robert H.N. Ho Family Foundation, an institution that supports higher education, and Chinese culture. She also served as an advisor to Give2Asia, a U.S.-based organization that aligns American donors with NGO programs
throughout Asia. Previously, Ms. Miao was a program officer at The California Endowment, a healthcare foundation that serves the state of California, as well as Program Manager for the Getty Foundation, the grantmaking arm of the J. Paul Getty Trust. Ms. Miao holds a BA and an MBA from UCLA.
Principal, Hong Kong Design Institute and Hong Kong Institute of Vocational Education (Lee Wai Lee)
Mr. Leslie Lu received his Master of Architecture Degree from Yale University, and was the recipient of the Japan Ministry of Culture Monbusho Scholarship, where he conducted research in design and urban theory in Tokyo, Japan.
Mr. Lu, presently serves as the Principal of Hong Kong Design Institute & IVE (LWL) and the Academic Director of Design Discipline in VTC. Prior to joining HKDI, he was the Head of the Department of Architecture, The University of Hong Kong;
Mr. Lu was Visiting Professor at Yale University and Delft University of Technology. Mr. Lu lectured and served as design critic in major international universities including Columbia University, Delft University of Technology, Princeton University, Yale University, Shenzhen University, Tongji University, Tsinghua University and the Chinese University Hong Kong.
Marc Cansier 於法國巴黎培寧根高等圖像學校(Penninghen School) 修畢平面設計和傳意文憑,並於1993 年在香港以聯合創辦人身份創辦了曼可尚(Marc & Chantal),自此確立了曼可尚一站式品牌顧問服務範圍,領導我們的團隊融彙整合傳播思維,塑造出多個別具個性的品牌。目前,曼可尚已是香港領先的跨領域品牌設計公司,精於提供涵蓋策略諮詢、品牌創造以及品牌體驗設計的全方位品牌建設方案。
作為創意總監,Marc 目前致力於發展公司的創意方向、品牌策略和地方品牌化方案。曼可尚近年完成的標誌性項目包括香港大館古蹟及藝術館、首爾弘大區 RYSE 傲途格精選酒店,以及倫敦夏利酒店 Hari Hotel。
Director, Design Society
Ole Bouman, former Creative Director of the Urbanism/Architecture Bi-City Biennale Shenzhen (2013-14), is now the director of Design Society, Shenzhen. Since mid 1990s Ole Bouman has shown outstanding achievements in writing, curating and teaching. He was the editor-in-chief of Volume. His publications include The Invisible in Architecture (co-author, 1994) and Architecture of Consequence (2009). Meanwhile, Ole Bouman was the director of Netherlands Architecture Institute (NAI). He was involved in and curated Manifesta 3 (2000), the architecture Biennales of Shenzhen, São Paulo and Venice, etc. Besides, Ole Bouman taught architecture at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
Suzy Annetta, founding editor in chief of Design Anthology magazine, is a Melbourne-trained interior designer who worked for a number of award-winning firms before founding her own studio. Design Anthology was launched in early 2014 to a strong following that continues to grow internationally. A quarterly, Design Anthology is published independently and is the only design magazine available across the Asia region to focus on a curated selection of high-end projects in the region or by Asian designers internationally. A European edition of the magazine launched in 2018, followed by an Australian edition in late 2019.
Founder & Chief Executive Officer, SZC Holdings Limited
Dr. Tat Lam founded Shanzhai City after dedicating over a decade of working in urban, informal, and village developments throughout China, identifying the need for the creation of a social development agency that addresses both market and policy failures in a rapidly developing country. An insightful expert in China’s developmental issues, Tat directed an urban development think tank in China (URB), consulting private and government entities on large-scale developmental projects,, with clients such as China government entities, urban planning commission in many cities, Vanke Group, Poly Real Estate Development, and grassroot underserved communities in both rural and urban China. Dr. Tat Lam developed anthropological research methods for socio-spatial design during his doctoral degree at The UCL (London) from which was applied towards his consultancy practice in China. As lead research scholar and founder at China Megacities Lab at Columbia University since 2007 and faculty member of the Chinese University of Hong Kong, Dr. Tat Lam is intimately involved with international academic resources. Most recently Dr. Lam was executive curator of the Hong Kong Shenzhen Bi-city Biennale of Architecture and Urbanism in 2013.
Senior Consultant, Hong Kong Design Centre / Director, Creative & Programme, PMQ
William spent 18 years working in the advertising industry in Hong Kong. In 1992, he founded his own agency - Vision Integrated Communications Ltd. Later on in his career, William became brand consultant to some of his clients, helping them launch their brands and products in Hong Kong and China.
William joined Hong Kong Design Centre in 2005 and is responsible for their flagship events – Business of Design Week (BODW), Knowledge of Design Week (KODW 2006 - 2012) and Design for Asia Awards (DFAA 2006-08).
In Aug 2012, William joined PMQ – a newly launched creative platform for design entrepreneurs. He is responsible for creating events and programs on site and collaborating with overseas partners.
Journey & Words
Winnie is a dot connecter; those dots may be people, places, perspectives, ideas, experiences, resources, or media & cultural messages. Before moving to Berlin in 2015, she had lived in Hong Kong for 22 years working on projects ranging from teen development (case studies for The Women’s Foundation) to promoting Hong Kong’s artists and art scene (through The Peninsula Hotel and Hongkong Land). She has degrees in history (focused on art & architecture), business, and psychology from the U.S., France and Hong Kong. Her main interest revolves around exploring how human experiences and potential are shaped and created by investigating and connecting multiple disciplines such as history, language, economics, arts &culture, neuroscience, philosophy, psychology, spirituality etc.