Name James M. Role Architect | ||
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Structures Shangri‑La Toronto, Fairmont Pacific Rim, Living Shangri‑La, Shaw Tower | ||
Education University of Washington | ||
James K. M. Cheng (鄭景明) is a Canadian architect best known for his condominium towers in Vancouver, British Columbia. Cheng's designs, most notably the highrise towers, are noted for their extensive use glass and for their contribution to the architectural style known as Vancouverism.
Life and work
Cheng was born in Hong Kong and educated at the University of Washington and Harvard where he studied under Richard Meier. In Canada he then apprenticed under Arthur Erickson. He formed his own firm, James K.M. Cheng Architects Inc., in 1978 when he won the commission for the Chinese Cultural Centre in Vancouver. Beginning in the 1990s Vancouver saw an unprecedented real estate boom that led to the construction of dozens of condo towers in the city. Cheng has become the leading residential tower designer of this period. UBC professor Dina Krunic has commented that "concrete construction and green glass façade, for which Vancouver is internationally known, are James Cheng's legacy." In 2012 Cheng was awarded the Order of Canada.
While most of his projects are residential and in Vancouver, Cheng has other credits:
