An informal discussion to inspire, imagine, and think together the future of our cities and the way we live: Towers All around Me

An informal discussion to inspire, imagine, and think together the future of our cities and the way we live: Towers all Around Me

Saturday, June 12, 2021 @18:00 – 19:30JST

EVENT DESCRIPTION:
Tokyo, Hong Kong, London, New York, Shanghai, Dubai…. Modern cities grow towards the sky to create more space, more landmarks, and more density. How have towers changed our environment and our lifestyles? How long can they last? Can they change over time? How can they be more open for public use? This is an online discussion with architects from Hong Kong, London, and Tokyo to discuss current / recent works, emerging technologies, and how they are challenging the way we design and live with in cities today.

ABOUT THE PANELISTS:

Ar. Florence Chan, Director at KPF

Florence Chan is an architect with experiences in the US, Canada, Hong Kong and China, with special interest on supertall building design. Ms. Chan’s completed projects ranges from highly complexed mixed use developments to supertall buildings. These include Victoria Dockside – a mixed use waterfront development in Hong Kong; Ping An Finance Center – the tallest tower in Shenzhen; and CTF Center – the tallest occupiable mixed use tower in Guangzhou. She is currently serving as the Vice President of AIA Hong Kong Chapter, and Board Member of the Council of Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat Hong Kong Chapter. A believer in the power of education, Ms. Chan served as Adjunct Assistant Professor at the Chinese University of Hong Kong and frequents in reviews in local architectural schools. She received her Master in Architecture from Harvard Graduate School of Design and Bachelor in Social Science (Architectural Studies) from the Chinese University of Hong Kong.

Ar. Takeyuki Katsuya, Director at Nikken Sekkei

Takeyuki Katsuya is an architect with 1st class license in Japan. He joined Nikken Sekkei in 2000 after graduating with a master’s degree from Kyoto University Graduate School of Engineering Department of Architecture and Architectural Engineering. He has been involved in designing a wide range of buildings including the timber structure office Mokuzai Kaikan (2009); Toa Road Corporation Headquarters (2015); Sophia University’s Sophia Tower (2017); Maggie’s Tokyo (2017); and the Ariake Gymnasium (2019) dedicated to the International Big Sports Festival in Tokyo (2020-2021). He has also designed various projects in the Middle East, China, and Russia, including train stations and headquarters buildings. In 2016, his team won first prize at the International Design Competition for FC Barcelona’s home stadium design, the New Camp Nou. In 2019, his team completed the new high-rise tower, Shibuya Scramble Square in collaboration with Kengo Kuma and SANAA and designed the observatory, Shibuya Sky.

Ar. Midori Ainoura, Design Partner at PLP Architecture in London

Midori Ainoura has over 20 years’ professional experience designing complex office, residential, academic, institutional, and master planning projects across the UK, the US, Europe, the Middle East and Asia. Midori led the design of The Edge, a multi-award-winning intelligent and sustainable icon in Amsterdam created for Deloitte. She is a founding member of PLP Labs, the practice’s in-house interdisciplinary research and consulting unit that challenges future urban issues from city, human and digital perspectives. She lectures regularly on next-generation workplace design and placemaking across Europe and Asia. Midori is also leading PLP’s Tokyo studio together with Raita Nakajima, the practice’s permanent representative in Tokyo.

ABOUT THE PANELIST:

Ar. Angela Pang, principal of PangArchitect

Angela Pang is an independent design practice based in Hong Kong and recipient of a Special Award from the Hong Kong Institute of Architects and Green Building Award from the Hong Kong Green Building Council. Always guided by site and program, the firm questions, investigates, and challenges conventional standards and seeks innovations and alternatives. Recent works include Student Dormitory for 300 students for the Chinese University of Hong Kong, renovation and extension to Lingnan University’s main library, Polytechnic University library extension and transformation, and the Shinohara Kazuo exhibition design held at the Harvard Graduate School of Design, the ETH in Zurich, and the Kemper Art Museum at Washington University. She has taught architecture design studios at the University of Hong Kong, Washington University in St. Louis, and Cornell University.