30 September 2021

Gregory Kovacs delivers seminar for The Chinese University of Hong Kong: A creative encounter between commercial and social design ambitions

Gregory Kovacs, Design Director at Benoy, was invited by the School of Architecture of the Chinese University of Hong Kong to give a guest lecture to its architecture students. Various students in partner universities worldwide also attended the lecture, including from the University of Sydney, Columbia GSAPP, New York University, University of Tehran, Tongji University and others.

The welcome message was given by Zhu Jingxiang, Director, MPhil-PhD programme, School of Architecture, CUHK, and the event was moderated by Chan Ching Kan, PhD Candidate, School of Architecture, CUHK.

Gregory’s lecture was entitled The Beast and the Beauty: A creative encounter between commercial and social design ambitions”.

The topic centered on how architects understand the practicality of commercial operation and push for different kinds of public amenities especially during the 2 opposite ends of the design process — in the early phase of schematic design and after project completion. 

On one hand, in the early phase — the process of design of how certain significant elements in projecting the public amenity/​typological relation is maintained is important to understand; on the other hand, upon the completion of project — the clues about how the client’s agency plays a critical role in maintaining the vibrancy of the public space at operational and facility management level is key to its commercial success.

Going beyond the often-seen unrealistic, fantastical images in the industry, Gregory explained actual and practical typological aspects demonstrating the vibrancy of public space and public amenities, which far exceed just the visuality of the design. 

Gregory took the students behind-the-scenes” to understand the practical aspects of the urban fabric, typology and commercial and client needs to deliver visually dynamic and commercially successful projects. 

The 3 case study projects were: 

- The Fosun Foundation Art Center in Shanghai, which houses contemporary exhibitions and performances with theatre curtains” serving as a dynamic moving façade, optimal blend of craft and cutting-edge technology. 

- An innovative headquarters tower, which is a resilient, flexible office tower that can be reconfigured in many ways and projects a new way of working for the future. It also brings public and private together in a physical space, in the same way social media has done across the internet, promoting social connection and community. 

- Yongchuan Li brings together traditional local Sichuan culture with digital technology to create a dynamic multimedia façade. Spatially, it creates a pedestrian friendly town centre — something which has been missing from the local district. It achieves environmental sustainability via an environmentally friendly streetscape with large canopies and green terraces that work with the local climate.

Over 70 students and academic members attended the session and there was a dynamic Q&A and open discussion with the audience following the lecture.

Watch the full lecture here: 

https://​cuhk​.zoom​.us/​r​e​c​/​s​h​a​r​e​/​7​8​n​v​_​E​e​r​4​P​B​3​U​e​l​_​F​G​l​I​h​a​3​9​8​G​i​i​s​Y​h​m​X​Q​n​h​l​K​l​z​f​5​5​s​j​j​u​E​5​S​r​y​Z​N​L​J​6​O​4​B​0​S​P​b​.​G​2​p​V​A​8​E​r​x​h​w​K17dn

Access Passcode: *4!tiKv3

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Website 900x500
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Urban Context
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Fosun Center
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