31 March - 13 April 2015

Anita Chan Lai-ling Gallery. 2 Lower Albert Road, Central, Hong Kong.

Organised for the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA), and delivered as part of the GREAT Britain Campaign, the exhibition Great by Design: British Architecture – Asian Vision celebrates the international and collaborative nature of British architecture in Asia.  Recognised for its audacity, innovation and creativity, British architecture has formed a natural and intuitive relationship with Asian vision, foresight and entrepreneurial flair to produce some of the world’s most creative and innovative projects.

Great by Design will offer the public rare insight into the creative background of some of the world’s most recognized buildings and outstanding recent projects, showing how these relationships have enriched the contemporary architectural landscape.  Drawing on examples of works built in Asia by architects including Foster + Partners, TFP Farrells, Zaha Hadid Associates, Rogers Stirk Harbour + Partners, David Chipperfield Architects, Heatherwick  Studio, Benoy and Aedas, Great by Design comprises specially commissioned films, architectural models, animations and conceptual drawings presented in the form of a dynamic and informative installation. 

From office towers to airports, train stations to opera houses, shopping malls to residential projects, master plans and interiors, using materials from the RIBA collection and from architects and their patrons, Great by Design will highlight key moments in the development of these architectural landmarks and the impact they have not just for the people who use them, but also for the evolution of architecture itself.  For example Foster’s HSBC Building, commissioned by the Hong Kong and Shanghai Banking Corporation, established “High Tech” or “structural expressionism” globally as a new architectural style.  Farrell’s “Post Modernist” Peak Tower, commissioned by The Hong Kong and Shanghai Hotels Ltd. as the result of an international design competition, forms a metaphor for postmodern Hong Kong itself, with its distinctive eaves reminiscent of Chinese architecture.  Zaha Hadid Architect’s Innovation Tower for the Polytechnic University of Hong Kong, with its seamless fluid lines, establishes a new paradigm for the tower and podium structure that is ubiquitous to the Hong Kong architectural landscape.

 A forum chaired by RIBA President Stephen Hodder took place on 30 March in partnership with the RIBA Hong Kong Chapter and educational partners Chinese University of Hong Kong and Hong Kong University.  Premiere screenings of the three-part BBC Television documentary "The Brits who Built the Modern World", which inspired the RIBA exhibition of the same name held in London last year, will also be open to the public and free of charge.

GREAT by Design is part of the UKTI's GREAT Britian campaign. More information, and images of the VIP Reception, can be found via links here on the RIBA website.

Organised and delivered for the RIBA by Suzy Jones

Curator - Davina Lee

Exhibition Designers - Sky Yutaka

Exhibition ID Design - Alex Brazier

Photography - Virgile S Bertrand

Videography - Alan Yiu

Further information about the RIBA, and its presence in Hong Kong

The Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA), one of the most influential architectural institutions in the world, has been promoting architecture and supporting the profession in the United Kingdom since being awarded its Royal Charter in 1837 and today, the institute champions the creation of better buildings, communities and the environment through architecture. 

The RIBA Hong Kong Chapter was launched in September 2012 to promote the work of Hong Kong members, raise recognition of their professional and technical excellence and stimulate wider demand for architecture from the public and stakeholders across the Asia Pacific region.