Kris Yao (; born December 1951) is a Taiwanese
architect
An architect is a person who plans, designs, and oversees the construction of buildings. To practice architecture means to provide services in connection with the design of buildings and the space within the site surrounding the buildings that h ...
, and the founder and head architect at KRIS YAO , ARTECH in
Taipei
, nickname = The City of Azaleas
, image_map =
, map_caption =
, pushpin_map = Taiwan#Asia#Pacific Ocean#Earth
, coordinates =
, subdivision_type = Country ...
and
Shanghai
Shanghai, Shanghainese: , Standard Chinese pronunciation: is a direct-administered municipality and the most populous urban area in China. The city is located on the Chinese shoreline on the southern estuary of the Yangtze River, with the ...
.
Biography
Yao was born and raised in
Taipei
, nickname = The City of Azaleas
, image_map =
, map_caption =
, pushpin_map = Taiwan#Asia#Pacific Ocean#Earth
, coordinates =
, subdivision_type = Country ...
,
Taiwan
Taiwan, officially the Republic of China (ROC), is a country in East Asia. The main geography of Taiwan, island of Taiwan, also known as ''Formosa'', lies between the East China Sea, East and South China Seas in the northwestern Pacific Ocea ...
. Yao received his Bachelor of Architecture at
Tunghai University
Tunghai University (THU; ) is a private university in Xitun District, Taichung, Taiwan, established in 1955. It was founded by the United Board for Christian Higher Education in Asia (UBCHEA). The university is known for its liberal arts educati ...
in 1975, and received his master's degree in Architecture at the
University of California, Berkeley
The University of California, Berkeley (UC Berkeley, Berkeley, Cal, or California), is a Public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in Berkeley, California, United States. Founded in 1868 and named after t ...
, in 1978.
Kris Yao , Artech
Established by Kris Yao in 1985, KRIS YAO , ARTECH is an architectural firm composed of more than 160 professionals with offices in Taipei and Shanghai. The firm's projects are mainly located in the Greater China area, but are also found in the United States, Europe, and South Asia. Project categories range from corporate, residential, cultural, educational, hospital, commercial, transportation, industrial architecture design, and urban planning, etc. The award-winning and selected works including: Lanyang Museum, China Steel Corporation Headquarters, Water-Moon Monastery, and Wuzhen Theater, etc.
Selected projects
*
Taiwan High Speed Rail
Taiwan High Speed Rail (THSR) is a high-speed railway network in Taiwan, which consists of a single line that runs approximately along the western coast of the island, from the capital Taipei in the north to the southern city of Kaohsiung. Its c ...
**
Hsinchu Station (
Hsinchu
Hsinchu (, ), officially Hsinchu City, is a city located in northwestern Taiwan. It is the most populous city in Taiwan that is not a special municipality, with estimated 450,655 inhabitants. Hsinchu is a coastal city bordering the Taiwan ...
)
**
Changhua Station
Changhua () is a railway station in Changhua City, Changhua County, Taiwan served by Taiwan Railways. It is located at the southern junction of the Taichung line and Coastal line, where the line continues onto the southern section of the West C ...
(
Changhua
Changhua (Hokkien Pe̍h-ōe-jī, POJ: ''Chiong-hòa'' or ''Chiang-hòa''), officially known as Changhua City, is a county-administered city and the county seat of Changhua County in Taiwan. For many centuries the site was home to a settlement of ...
)
**
Yunlin Station (
Yunlin
Yunlin is a county in western Taiwan. Yunlin County borders the Taiwan Strait to the west, Nantou County to the east, Changhua County to the north at the Zhuoshui River, and Chiayi County to the south at the Beigang River. It has a population ...
)
*
Lanyang Museum (
Yilan
Yilan may refer to:
China
* Yilan County, Heilongjiang (依兰县), county of central Heilongjiang province, People's Republic of China
* Yilan Town, Heilongjiang (依兰镇), seat of Yilan County
* Yilan, Jilin (依兰镇), town in Yanji
Taiwan ...
)
*
Southern Branch of the National Palace Museum (
Chiayi
Chiayi (,), officially known as Chiayi City, is a Provincial city (Taiwan), city located in Chianan Plain in Regions of Taiwan, southwestern Taiwan, surrounded by Chiayi County with a population of 263,188 inhabitants as of January 2023.
The H ...
)
*
Museum of Archaeology, Tainan Branch of National Museum of Prehistory (
Tainan
Tainan (), officially Tainan City, is a Special municipality (Taiwan), special municipality in southern Taiwan, facing the Taiwan Strait on its western coast. Tainan is the oldest city on the island and commonly called the "Taiwan Prefecture, ...
)
* Water-Moon Monastery (
Taipei City
, nickname = The City of Azaleas
, image_map =
, map_caption =
, pushpin_map = Taiwan#Asia#Pacific Ocean#Earth
, coordinates =
, subdivision_type = Countr ...
)
*
Lite-On Technology Center
The Lite-On Technology Center () is a 23-storey, skyscraper office building completed in 2002 and located in Neihu District, Taipei, Taiwan. The building consists of four basement levels, with a total floor area of . One of the most prominent la ...
(
Taipei City
, nickname = The City of Azaleas
, image_map =
, map_caption =
, pushpin_map = Taiwan#Asia#Pacific Ocean#Earth
, coordinates =
, subdivision_type = Countr ...
)
* Shih Chien University Gymnasium and Library (
Taipei City
, nickname = The City of Azaleas
, image_map =
, map_caption =
, pushpin_map = Taiwan#Asia#Pacific Ocean#Earth
, coordinates =
, subdivision_type = Countr ...
)
*
China Steel Corporation Headquarters
The China Steel Corporation Headquarters () is a 29-story, skyscraper office building in Cianjhen District, Kaohsiung, Taiwan. It houses the corporate headquarters of China Steel Corporation. As of February 2021, it is the 24th tallest buildin ...
(
Kaohsiung City
Kaohsiung, officially Kaohsiung City, is a Special municipality (Taiwan), special municipality located in southern Taiwan. It ranges from the coastal urban center to the rural Yushan Range with an area of . Kaohsiung City has a population of ...
)
*
Kelti Group Headquarters (
Taipei City
, nickname = The City of Azaleas
, image_map =
, map_caption =
, pushpin_map = Taiwan#Asia#Pacific Ocean#Earth
, coordinates =
, subdivision_type = Countr ...
)
*
Far Eastern Mega Tower
The Far Eastern Mega Tower () is a skyscraper located in Banqiao District, New Taipei, Taiwan. As of February 2021, it is the eighth tallest building in Taiwan and the tallest in New Taipei City. The height of building is , the floor area is , ...
(
New Taipei City
New Taipei City is a Special municipality (Taiwan), special municipality located in regions of Taiwan, northern Taiwan. The city is home to an estimated population of 4,004,367 as of January 2023, making it the most populous city in Taiwan, a ...
)
*
Cathay Landmark, (
Taipei City
, nickname = The City of Azaleas
, image_map =
, map_caption =
, pushpin_map = Taiwan#Asia#Pacific Ocean#Earth
, coordinates =
, subdivision_type = Countr ...
)
*
United Daily News Office Building (
Taipei City
, nickname = The City of Azaleas
, image_map =
, map_caption =
, pushpin_map = Taiwan#Asia#Pacific Ocean#Earth
, coordinates =
, subdivision_type = Countr ...
)
* Wuzhen Theater (
Zhejiang
)
, translit_lang1_type2 =
, translit_lang1_info2 = ( Hangzhounese) ( Ningbonese) (Wenzhounese)
, image_skyline = 玉甑峰全貌 - panoramio.jpg
, image_caption = View of the Yandang Mountains
, image_map = Zhejiang i ...
, China)
*
New Taipei Museum of Arts (
New Taipei City
New Taipei City is a Special municipality (Taiwan), special municipality located in regions of Taiwan, northern Taiwan. The city is home to an estimated population of 4,004,367 as of January 2023, making it the most populous city in Taiwan, a ...
)
File:Taiwan_HighSpeedRail_HsinChu_Station_3.JPG, THSR Hsinchu Station
File:蘭陽博物館.jpg, Lanyang Museum
File:Headquarter of China Steel Corporation in Kaohsiung, Taiwan-2.jpg, China Steel Corp. HQ.
File:Kelti_Building_202001.jpg, Kelti Group Headquarters
File:聯合報大樓.jpg, UDN Building
File:板橋 遠百二期辦公大樓 Banqiao FarEastern Headquarter Building, New Taipei - panoramio.jpg, Far Eastern Mega Tower
File:Lite-On_Technology_Building_20150723.jpg, Lite-On Technology Center
File:New Taipei City Art Museum 20230414.jpg, New Taipei Museum of Arts
Recognition
In 2014, Yao received an
Honorary Fellowship of the American Institute of Architects Honorary Fellowship of the American Institute of Architects (Hon. FAIA) may be awarded to foreign (non-U.S. citizen) architects and for non-architects who have made great contributions to the field of architecture or to the American Institute of Arc ...
(Hon. FAIA). In 2003, Yao represented
Taiwan
Taiwan, officially the Republic of China (ROC), is a country in East Asia. The main geography of Taiwan, island of Taiwan, also known as ''Formosa'', lies between the East China Sea, East and South China Seas in the northwestern Pacific Ocea ...
in the
8th International Architecture Exhibition at
Venice Biennale of Architecture
The Venice Biennale of Architecture ( Italian: ''Mostra di Architettura di Venezia'') is an international exhibition showcasing architectural works from around the world, held in Venice, Italy, every other year.
Originally held in even-numbered ...
(La Biennale di Venezia), in Venice, Italy.
Yao was reinvited to the same event in 2008, at the 11th International Architecture Exhibition at La Biennale di Venezia.
In 2004, Yao was invited to present his project, the
THSR Hsinchu Station, at the 1st International Architecture Biennale in
Rotterdam
Rotterdam ( , ; ; ) is the second-largest List of cities in the Netherlands by province, city in the Netherlands after the national capital of Amsterdam. It is in the Provinces of the Netherlands, province of South Holland, part of the North S ...
,
the Netherlands
, Terminology of the Low Countries, informally Holland, is a country in Northwestern Europe, with Caribbean Netherlands, overseas territories in the Caribbean. It is the largest of the four constituent countries of the Kingdom of the Nether ...
.
In the same year, he was also invited to present his projects at the 1st International Architecture Biennale in
Beijing
Beijing, Chinese postal romanization, previously romanized as Peking, is the capital city of China. With more than 22 million residents, it is the world's List of national capitals by population, most populous national capital city as well as ...
,
China
China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. With population of China, a population exceeding 1.4 billion, it is the list of countries by population (United Nations), second-most populous country after ...
. In 2005, Yao was named a recipient of the Distinguished Alumni of the College of Environmental Design at the
University of California, Berkeley
The University of California, Berkeley (UC Berkeley, Berkeley, Cal, or California), is a Public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in Berkeley, California, United States. Founded in 1868 and named after t ...
. In 2013, Palace Museum, Southern Branch was anticipated in The International Architecture Showcase,
London Festival of Architecture
The London Festival of Architecture is a festival specialized in architecture. It takes place annually in London, England, usually through the month of June. It features an extensive range of activities that mainly focus on design and architectu ...
2013 – Atlas of the Unbuilt World in London, UK. In 2014, Yao was re-invited to the 14th La Biennale di Venezia–Collateral Event / Time Space Existence –The Ninth Column.
In 1997, Kris Yao was awarded the "Chinese Outstanding Architect Award". In 2007, Yao received the "Taiwan National Award for Arts and Architecture", the highest honor in cultural and art disciplines in
Taiwan
Taiwan, officially the Republic of China (ROC), is a country in East Asia. The main geography of Taiwan, island of Taiwan, also known as ''Formosa'', lies between the East China Sea, East and South China Seas in the northwestern Pacific Ocea ...
. Yao is also collaborating with architect
Rem Koolhaas
Remment Lucas Koolhaas (; born 17 November 1944) is a Dutch architect, architectural theory, architectural theorist, urbanist and Professor in Practice of Architecture and Urban Design at the Harvard Graduate School of Design, Graduate School of ...
in the design of the Taipei Performing Arts Center, scheduled for completion in 2015.
Awards
*2014 8th Far Eastern Architectural Design Award - Honorable Mention & Most Popular Award - Water-Moon Monastery
*2014
Honorary Fellowship of the American Institute of Architects Honorary Fellowship of the American Institute of Architects (Hon. FAIA) may be awarded to foreign (non-U.S. citizen) architects and for non-architects who have made great contributions to the field of architecture or to the American Institute of Arc ...
*2013 35th Taiwan Architecture Award - Water-Moon Monastery
*2013 WAF Award shortlisted – Religion - Water-Moon Monastery
*2013 WAF Award shortlisted – Culture – Wuzhen Theater
*2013 1ST Architizer A+ Awards: Jury Winner And Popular Choice Winner -China Steel Corporation Headquarters
*2012 The Chicago Athenaeum Museum Of Architecture And Design, The European Centre of Architecture Art Design And Urban Studies:The International Architecture Award - Lanyang Museum
*2012 Perspective Awards 2012 Certificate Of Excellence In Heritage Category -Langyang Museum
References
External links
KRIS YAO , ARTECH official website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Yao, Kris
Taiwanese architects
Honorary Fellows of the American Institute of Architects
Artists from Taipei
1951 births
Living people