Bing Thom
Bing Wing Thom | |
---|---|
Born | Hong Kong |
Occupation | Architect |
Awards | Order of Canada |
Practice | Bing Thom Architects, Vancouver BC Canada |
Buildings |
Surrey City Centre Public Library Guildford Aquatic Center, Arena Stage |
Bing Wing Thom, CM (Chinese: 譚秉榮; born 8 December 1940) is a Canadian architect and urban designer.
Born in Hong Kong, he immigrated to Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada with his family in 1950.[1] Despite the coincidence of their family names, he is not related to the Canadian architect Ron Thom.
Career
Thom received a Bachelor of Architecture in 1966 from the University of British Columbia and a Master of Architecture in 1970 from the University of California, Berkeley.[2]
He moved to Tokyo in 1971 to work for Japanese architect-urbanist Fumihiko Maki. Returning to Canada in 1972, he joined Arthur Erickson Architects as project director and oversaw projects such as Roy Thomson Hall in Toronto (1977), the Robson Square Courthouse Complex in Vancouver (1973–79) and the Air Defence Ministry Building in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.
In 1981, Thom established his own architecture firm, Vancouver-based Bing Thom Architects.[3]
In 1995, Thom was made a Member of the Order of Canada and he is a recipient of the Golden Jubilee Medal for outstanding service to his country. He is a Fellow of the Royal Architectural Institute of Canada.
Thom is the recipient of honorary degrees from the University of British Columbia and Simon Fraser University.
In 2010, Thom and his firm were awarded the Royal Architectural Institute of Canada's Architectural Firm of the Year award.[4] and in 2011 he was awarded the RAIC's highest honour, the RAIC Gold Medal [5]
Bing Thom Architects
As of 2013 the firm has a total staff of 43, including principals Thom and Michael Heeney, associate directors, registered architects, architectural graduate and students, urban designers and planners, and support staff.[6]
The firm specializes in urban planning and complex building types such as civic buildings, performing arts centres and public spaces. Typically projects are mixed-use, integrating commercial, residential and cultural uses to create a sustainable whole.
Architectural and urban design projects
Structure | Location | Type | Year |
---|---|---|---|
Tarrant County College Downtown Campus | Fort Worth, Texas, USA | educational institute | 2011 |
Surrey City Centre Public Library | Surrey, British Columbia, Canada | library | 2011 |
Arena Stage Theater expansion | Washington, DC, USA | performing arts structure | 2010 |
SAIT Polytechnic Parking Garage | Calgary, Alberta, Canada | parking structure | 2009 |
Sunset Community Centre | Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada | community centre | 2008 |
Trafalgar Square Installation | London, England, United Kingdom | public square | 2008 |
Aberdeen Centre addition and condo development | Richmond, British Columbia, Canada | residential structure | 2008 |
SAIT Polytechnic Master Plan | Calgary, Alberta, Canada | educational institute | 2007 |
Trinity Uptown planning and urban design study | Fort Worth, Texas, USA | mixed-use development | 2006 |
Central City Shopping Centre, SFU campus and office integration | Surrey, British Columbia, Canada | educational institute and retail development | 2004 |
Aberdeen Centre | Richmond, British Columbia, Canada | retail, entertainment development | 2004 |
City of Dalian Masterplan | Dalian, People's Republic of China | city plan | 1995 |
City of Yuxi Masterplan | Yuxi, People's Republic of China | city plan | 1999 |
Chan Centre for the Performing Arts at UBC | Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada | performing arts structure | 1997 |
Canada Pavilion at Expo '92 | Seville, Spain | general structure | 1992 |
False Creek Yacht Club | Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada | general structure | 1989 |
The Pointe condominium | Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada | residential development | 1995 |
Pacific Canada Pavilion, Vancouver Aquarium | Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada | general structure | 1998 |
Awards and prizes
- Architectural Firm Award, Royal Architectural Institute of Canada 2010
- Lieutenant-Governor of British Columbia Certificate of Merit for Excellence in Architecture, AIBC (Aberdeen Centre, Richmond British Columbia) 2007
- Excellence on the Waterfront Awards – Top Honor, The Waterfront Center, Washington DC (The Trinity Uptown Plan, Fort Worth OK) 2005
- Merit Awards, Landscape Analysis & Planning, Boston Society of Landscape Architects (The Trinity Uptown Plan, Fort Worth OK) 2005
- Marche International des Professionels de l’Immobilier (Cannes, France) Special Jury Prize (Surrey Central City, Surrey, British Columbia) 2004
- Lieutenant-Governor of British Columbia Medal in Architecture, AIBC (Surrey Central City, Surrey British Columbia) 2004
- Architectural Institute of British Columbia Innovation Award (Surrey Central City, Surrey BC) 2004
- CIP Award for Planning Excellence, Canadian Institute of Planners (Conceptual Development Plan for the City Center of Yuxi, China) 2001
- Lieutenant-Governor of British Columbia Medal, AIBC (Pacific Canada Pavilion, Vancouver Aquarium, Vancouver) 2000
- Architectural Institute of British Columbia Innovation Award (Pacific Canada Pavilion, Vancouver Aquarium, Vancouver) 2000
- Lieutenant-Governor of British Columbia Medal, AIBC (Chan Centre for the Performing Arts, Vancouver BC) 1998
- USITT Merit Award, United States Institute for Theater Technology (Chan Centre for the Performing Arts, Vancouver BC) 1998
- Winner, Canadian National Selection (Canada Pavilion, Seville Expo '92, Spain) 1992
- Lieutenant-Governor of British Columbia Medal, AIBC (False Creek Yacht Club/Anderson’s Restaurant, Vancouver) 1992
- Governor General Medal, Royal Architectural Institute of Canada (Point Grey Road Condominiums, Vancouver) 1990
- Governor General Medal, Royal Architectural Institute of Canada (False Creek Yacht Club/Anderson’s Restaurant, Vancouver ) 1990
- Excellence on the Waterfront Award, The Waterfront Center, Washington DC (False Creek Yacht Club / Anderson’s Restaurant, Vancouver) 1990
Publications
- Roan, Neill Archer, Scale + Timbre, The Chan Centre for the Performing Arts, Black Dog Publishing, 2002
- Bing Thom Architects, Canada Pavilion: Expo '92 Seville, Spain, Bing Thom Architects, Inc., 1992
External links
- Bing Thom Architects web site
- Bing Wing Thom at The Canadian Encyclopedia
- Bing Thom speaking on Vancouver's development at an SFU City Program lecture (February 1, 2008, mp3 link)
- The Chan Centre for the Performing Arts
- Arena Stage, Washington DC
- Surrey Central City
- Simon Fraser University Surrey
- Aberdeen Centre
References
- ↑ The Canadian Encyclopedia. http://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.com/index.cfm?PgNm=TCE&Params=A1ARTA0011493
- ↑ Vancouverism website. http://www.vancouverism.ca/exhibition/bing_thom/
- ↑ The Canadian Encyclopedia. http://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.com/index.cfm?PgNm=TCE&Params=A1ARTA0011493
- ↑ Royal Architectural Institute of Canada website http://www.raic.org/honours_and_awards/awards_firm/2010recipient_e.htm
- ↑ Royal Architectural Institute of Canada Gold Medal — 2011 Recipient http://www.raic.org/honours_and_awards/honours_gold_medal/2011/medalist_e.htm
- ↑ AIBC firm description. Retrieved 2013-12-08
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