The Canadian architecture community has recently lost two giants of the profession: Bing Thom and Ted Teshima.
Bing Wing Thom, 1940-2016. Photo: Thomas Billingsley
Thom’s office is tucked at the edge of downtown Vancouver, and I first met him there a few years ago. At that time, he never entered competitions unless invited. He handpicked clients. He had visions for building links between cultural institutions in Canada and his native Hong Kong. I was in the presence of an immense intellect, strategist and master of his craft?but I also felt Thom had all the time in the world to chat with a curious journalist.
At a lecture in Toronto the other year, when he received the inaugural Margolese National Design for Living Prize, Thom described approaching a new project in Dallas, Texas by first meandering through the streets with quiet intent, observing the particular colours of the city?s sky, earth and river. Similarly, he listened with seriousness to his clients?both those who paid for his buildings, but also (and especially) those who would ultimately use them. At Surrey City Centre, for instance, he built a university and office tower around a nondescript one-storey shopping mall, keeping it operational during construction because it was an important gathering spot for locals. In the final project, the mall?s roof has been removed, and an atrium soars above it.
Thom was not afraid to be outspoken. He publicly criticized the Canada House pavilion at the 2010 Olympics, an...