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The I•CARE Programme of The Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK) is privileged to have Mr. Kris Yao, a renowned architect from Taiwan, as the speaker of the University Lecture on Civility this year.  Mr. Yao’s architecture integrates function with culture and history, presenting a unique approach that celebrates the spirit of the locality.  His masterpieces include Taiwan High Speed Rail Hsinchu Station, Lanyang Museum, Wuzhen Theater and Water-Moon Monastery.  Among the numerous international awards he has received, the most recent one was the prestigious Honorary Fellowship from the American Institute of Architects in 2014.  Mr. Yao will give a talk at CUHK next Friday (7 November), titled ‘Making A Thatched Cottage Amongst the Throng of Men (結廬在人境)’.  The lecture is organized by the I•CARE Programme and co-organized by the School of Architecture, CUHK.  Free tickets are available for redemption by the public.

Exhibition of Kris Yao’s Production

Photos and videos of four outstanding buildings designed by Mr. Yao, including China Steel Corporation Headquarters (International Architecture Awards 2014), Water-Moon Monastery (8^th Far Eastern Architectural Design Award – Honorable Mention & Most Popular Award), Lanyang Museum, and Wuzhen Theater, are now on display at An Integrated Teaching Building (AITB), where the School of Architecture is located, until 14 November (except Sundays).

‘Dialogue in the Bamboo Fence’

Inspired by Mr. Yao’s lecture topic, Prof. Thomas Chung from the School of Architecture came out with the idea and invited local experts on bamboo scaffolding to build a thatched cottage next to Lake Ad Excellentiam in Chung Chi College.  Some students and professors also participated in the construction work in the past few weeks.  The humble cottage perfectly matches the forest, giving off a refreshing earthiness that clears one’s mind on the autumn breeze.  All are welcome to visit the cottage, pick out a piece of bamboo scroll and put your thoughts into words to join the ‘Dialogue in the Bamboo Fence’, and get a free ticket for Kris Yao’s lecture.  The ticket redemption counter is located at the open area outside the Yasumoto International Academic Park, open daily from 2 pm to 6 pm except Sundays.  The thatched cottage is also open until 22 December.

About Mr. Kris Yao

Mr. Kris Yao, Hon. FAIA, founded KRIS YAO | ARTECH in Taipei in 1985 and established a Shanghai office in 2001. The firm currently employs more than 160 professionals, and is one of the most important architecture practices in Asia-Pacific region.

Throughout his 30 years of practice, Mr. Yao has received numerous awards and recognitions, including the Distinguished Alumnus Award from the College of Environmental Design at the University of California – Berkeley in 2005, the ‘National Award for Arts’ in Taiwan in 2007, and the prestigious Honorary Fellowship from the American Institute of Architects (AIA) in 2014.  The AIA praised him as an architect who ‘[demonstrates] his humanity with the development of physical elements that hold true to human emotion and conditions, cultural and historical context, and a sense of scale and place. His architecture has a poetic nature, using his native eastern aesthetic and spirituality with a sense of natural light, interplay of surfaces and forms and executing all with a high level of innovation and professionalism.’

Mr. Yao’s portfolio demonstrates years of practice in commercial, hospitality, civic, transportation, spiritual, and educational design. His architecture integrates function with culture and history, presenting a unique approach that celebrates the spirit of the locality. His works have been widely published in international magazines, architectural journals, and in two of his monographs.

About I•CARE University Lecture on Civility

With the slogan ‘Aspiration through reflection; Renewal through civility’, the I•CARE Programme aims to promote students’ holistic development through social and civic engagements in Hong Kong, mainland China and overseas countries, and to raise their humanistic and civic awareness.

University Lecture on Civility is an annual programme of I•CARE with an objective to bring in scholars, artists and public figures in the region to CUHK to share their views on civility and value system to our staff and students, as well as other interested parties in the public.  Previous speakers include Mr. Lin Hwai-min, Founder of the Cloud Gate Dance Theatre of Taiwan; Ms. Hu Shuli, Chinese famous media person; Prof. Pai Hsien-yung, acclaimed Taiwan-American writer; Prof. Leo Lee Ou-fan, internationally-renowned scholar in cultural studies; Ms. Ann Hui On-wah, renowned director.