chan centre performing arts concert tessler

Bing Wing Thom, ( Chinese: 譚秉榮; 8 December 1940 – 4 October 2016) was a Canadian architect and urban designer. Born in

Hong Kong Hong Kong ( (US) or (UK); , ), officially the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China (abbr. Hong Kong SAR or HKSAR), is a city and special administrative region of China on the eastern Pearl River Delta i ...

, he immigrated to

Vancouver Vancouver ( ) is a major city in western Canada, located in the Lower Mainland region of British Columbia. As the most populous city in the province, the 2021 Canadian census recorded 662,248 people in the city, up from 631,486 in 2016. Th ...

British Columbia British Columbia (commonly abbreviated as BC) is the westernmost Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Canada, situated between the Pacific Ocean and the Rocky Mountains. It has a diverse geography, with rugged landscapes that include ...

, Canada with his family in 1950.Bing Wing Thom
at "Encyclopedia of Music in Canada", retrieved 1 September 2019 His paternal grandfather originally immigrated to Vancouver in the 1890s and his father was born in

New Westminster New Westminster (colloquially known as New West) is a city in the Lower Mainland region of British Columbia, Canada, and a member municipality of the Metro Vancouver Regional District. It was founded by Major-General Richard Moody as the capita ...

before moving to Hong Kong after being unable to practice as a pharmacist in Canada.

Career

Thom received a Bachelor of Architecture in 1966 from the

University of British Columbia The University of British Columbia (UBC) is a public university, public research university with campuses near Vancouver and in Kelowna, British Columbia. Established in 1908, it is British Columbia's oldest university. The university ranks a ...

and a Master of Architecture in 1970 from the

University of California, Berkeley The University of California, Berkeley (UC Berkeley, Berkeley, Cal, or California) is a public land-grant research university in Berkeley, California. Established in 1868 as the University of California, it is the state's first land-grant u ...

. He moved to Tokyo in 1971 to work for Japanese architect-urbanist

Fumihiko Maki is a Japanese architect who teaches at Keio University SFC. In 1993, he received the Pritzker Prize for his work, which often explores pioneering uses of new materials and fuses the cultures of east and west. Early life Maki was born in Tokyo. ...

. Returning to Canada in 1972, he joined Arthur Erickson Architects as project director and oversaw projects such as

Roy Thomson Hall Roy Thomson Hall is a concert hall in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Located downtown in the city's entertainment district, it is home to the Toronto Symphony Orchestra, the Toronto Mendelssohn Choir, and the Toronto Defiant. Opened in 1982, its ...

in Toronto (1977), the

Robson Square Robson Square is a landmark civic centre and public plaza, located in Downtown Vancouver, British Columbia. It is the site of the Provincial Law Courts, UBC Robson Square, government office buildings, and public space connecting the newer dev ...

Courthouse Complex in Vancouver (1973–1979) and the Air Defence Ministry Building in

Jeddah, Saudi Arabia Jeddah ( ), also spelled Jedda, Jiddah or Jidda ( ; ar, , Jidda, ), is a city in the Hejaz region of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) and the country's commercial center. Established in the 6th century BC as a fishing village, Jeddah's promi ...

. In 1981, Thom established his own

architecture firm In the United States, an architectural firm or architecture firm is a business that employs one or more licensed architects and practices the profession of architecture; while in South Africa, the United Kingdom, Ireland, Denmark and other countr ...

, Vancouver-based Bing Thom Architects. In 1995, Thom was made a Member of the

Order of Canada The Order of Canada (french: Ordre du Canada; abbreviated as OC) is a Canadian state order and the second-highest honour for merit in the system of orders, decorations, and medals of Canada, after the Order of Merit. To coincide with the c ...

and he was a recipient of the Golden Jubilee Medal for outstanding service to his country. He was a Fellow of the

Royal Architectural Institute of Canada The Royal Architectural Institute of Canada (RAIC) is a not-for-profit, national organization that has represented architects and architecture for over 100 years, in existence since 1907. The RAIC is the leading voice for excellence in the built ...

. Thom received honorary degrees from the

and

Simon Fraser University Simon Fraser University (SFU) is a public research university in British Columbia, Canada, with three campuses, all in Greater Vancouver: Burnaby (main campus), Surrey, and Vancouver. The main Burnaby campus on Burnaby Mountain, located ...

. In 2010, Thom and his firm were awarded the Royal Architectural Institute of Canada's Architectural Firm of the Year award. and in 2011 he was awarded the RAIC's highest honour, the RAIC Gold Medal. Thom died at age 75 of a brain aneurysm while on a trip to Hong Kong in October 2016.

Bing Thom Architects

As of 2015 the firm has a total staff of 47, including principals Venelin Kokalov and Shinobu Homma, directors, registered architects, architectural graduate and students, urban designers and planners, and support staff. 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. They have offices in Vancouver, Hong Kong, and Washington, DC.

Architectural and urban design projects

Awards and prizes

Lieutenant-Governor of British Columbia The lieutenant governor of British Columbia () is the viceregal representative of the , in the province of British Columbia, Canada. The office of lieutenant governor is an office of the Crown and serves as a representative of the monarchy in ...

Medal for Excellence in Architecture, AIBC (Guildford Aquatic Centre, Surrey British Columbia) 2016 *

Certificate of Merit for Excellence in Architecture, AIBC ( Surrey City Centre Public Library, Surrey British Columbia) 2013 * Top 25 Canadian Immigrant Award Winner 2012 *

Gold Medal 2011 *

Certificate of Merit, AIBC ( SAIT Polytechnic Parkade) 2011 *

Architectural Firm Award 2010 *

Certificate of Merit for Excellence in Architecture, AIBC (

Aberdeen Centre Aberdeen Centre is a shopping mall in Richmond, British Columbia. It is located in the Golden Village district on Hazelbridge Way, bordered by Cambie Road to the north. History The original Aberdeen Centre was built in 1989. It contained ...

, 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 Cannes ( , , ; oc, Canas) is a city located on the French Riviera. It is a commune located in the Alpes-Maritimes department, and host city of the annual Cannes Film Festival, Midem, and Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity. The ci ...

, France) Special Jury Prize (Surrey Central City, Surrey, British Columbia) 2004 *

Medal in Architecture, AIBC (Surrey Central City, Surrey British Columbia) 2004 *

Architectural Institute of British Columbia The Architectural Institute of British Columbia (AIBC) is the regulatory body responsible for registering and licensing all architects in the Province of British Columbia in Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces a ...

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 Yuxi () is a prefecture-level city in the central part of Yunnan province of the People's Republic of China. The administrative center of Yuxi is Hongta District. Yuxi is approximately south of Kunming. Geography Yuxi is located in the center ...

, China) 2001 *

Medal, AIBC (Pacific Canada Pavilion, Vancouver Aquarium, Vancouver) 2000 *

Innovation Award (Pacific Canada Pavilion, Vancouver Aquarium, Vancouver) 2000 *

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 The Seville Expo '92 was a universal exposition that took place from Monday, April 20 to Monday, October 12, 1992, on La Isla de La Cartuja (Charterhouse Island), Seville, Spain. The theme for the expo was "The Age of Discovery", celebrating th ...

, Spain) 1992 *

Medal, AIBC (False Creek Yacht Club/Anderson's Restaurant, Vancouver) 1992 *Governor General Medal,

(Point Grey Road Condominiums, Vancouver) 1990 *Governor General Medal,

(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

* Bing Thom Architects, ''Bing Thom Works'', Princeton Architectural Press, 2011Bing Thom Works - Princeton Architectural Press https://www.papress.com/html/book.details.page.tpl?isbn=9781568989594 * 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

References

External links

Bing Thom Architects web site

Bing Wing Thom
at

Encyclopedia of Music in Canada ''The Canadian Encyclopedia'' (TCE; french: L'Encyclopédie canadienne) is the national encyclopedia of Canada, published online by the Toronto-based historical organization Historica Canada, with the support of Canadian Heritage. Available f ...

Bing Thom speaking on Vancouver's development at an SFU City Program lecture
(1 February 2008, mp3 link)
The Chan Centre for the Performing Arts

Arena Stage, Washington DC

Surrey Central City

Simon Fraser University Surrey

Aberdeen Centre
{{DEFAULTSORT:Thom, Bing 1940 births 2016 deaths Businesspeople from Vancouver Canadian architects Hong Kong emigrants to Canada Members of the Order of Canada Naturalized citizens of Canada University of British Columbia Faculty of Applied Science alumni UC Berkeley College of Environmental Design alumni Architecture firms of Canada Companies based in Vancouver