RUNDOWN:
6:30 Registration
6:45 Opening remarks
6:50 Presentation
7:35 Q&A
7:45 End

ASHK member price: HKD60
Non-member price: HKD80

On the occasion of the first major retrospective of the legendary architect I. M. Pei at M+ Museum, join ASHKC as we delve into his legacy and impact on the contemporary world with architect Bing Lin, who had worked closely with Pei for over a decade and is especially qualified to speak on the late architect’s prolific career.

With an expansive collection of previously unseen archival materials, M+ brings to public view a large body of work by Pei over his remarkably long and illustrious career.  A “busy” architect, Pei believed firmly in hard work over pure theory and empty rhetoric. From his early years as a Harvard student, when he challenged Walter Gropius over the lack of humanity in Bauhaus architecture’s embrace of the machine, to the commission of some of the world’s most prestigious cultural institutions - the Louvre, the National Gallery East Wing, the Miho Museum, just to name a few - Pei had always been motivated by a great sense of humanity.  Beyond his exceptional talent in design and diligent work ethics, Pei also possessed a diplomatic sensibility and disarming charm that enabled him to not only work with but also befriend an extensive range of clients, from royalties to developers, as well as scientists and politicians.

To unpack Pei’s impressive body of work, we are joined by Bing Lin, who was not only involved with various Chinese publications on Pei, but also collaborated with Pei on the design of Suzhou Museum and China Embassy in the USA.  Having worked alongside Pei for twelve years, Lin is uniquely qualified to discuss the context behind Pei’s projects, and to help reveal Pei’s true legacy beyond the considerable collection of models, drawings and photos presented in the museum.

Bing Lin was born in Shanghai, China. At the age of 19, Lin went to study at Washington State University where he earned Bachelor of Architecture, cum laude, in 1995. He received Master of Science in Architecture and Urban Design from Columbia University in 1997.

From 1998 to 2010, Lin worked at Pei Partnership Architects as the Director of Asian Development. He participated in the design of Suzhou Museum and Chinese Embassy in Washington D.C. and was the site architect for the Suzhou Museum and Project Manager for Chinese Embassy. 

In 2010, Lin co-founded OLI Architecture PLLC, with offices in New York and Shanghai. Lin led the design of award-winning projects including MuXin Art Museum, Anji Chilfren’s Village, Palace Museum Exhibitions and Diageo Whisky Distiller in Dali.

In addition to architectural practice, Lin has been a guest critic at Universidad Iberoamericana, Columbia University, Hong Kong University and Xi'an Jiaotong-Liverpool University. In 2004, he translated and wrote the Chinese Edition of Conversation with I. M. Pei. In 2011 and 2020,  Lin was the chief reviewer for the Chinese edition of I. M. Pei’s Complete Works. In 2017, Lin curated of the exhibition titled I. M. Pei Documents for Suzhou Art Museum.

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The views and opinions expressed are those of the speakers and participants and, unless expressly stated to the contrary, do not reflect the opinion, position or official policy of Asia Society Hong Kong, its members, or its committees. Asia Society Hong Kong does not endorse or approve and assumes no responsibility for the content of the information presented.