Photo by Thomas Billingsley.
We are deeply saddened to hear of the sudden passing of architect Bing Thom on Tuesday, October 4, 2016. Thom died unexpectedly from a brain aneurysm, accompanied by spouse Bonnie Thom. He was 75. At the time, he was in Hong Kong working on the Xiqu Theatre for Performing Arts.
Bing Thom received a BA of Architecture in 1966 from the University of British Columbia and an MA of Architecture in 1970 from the University of California, Berkeley. Thom went to work for Japanese architect-urbanist Fumihiko Maki in 1971, returning to Canada in 1972 when he joined Arthur Erickson Architects and oversaw a number of high-profile projects in Canada and abroad.
In 1982, Bing Thom established his own firm, Vancouver-based Bing Thom Architects with offices in Vancouver, Hong Kong, and Washington, DC. Originating from a dozen different countries, the thriving firm of 50 designs award-winning projects throughout the world.  In 2010, Thom and his firm were awarded the RAIC?s Architectural Firm of the Year award, and in 2011, he was awarded the RAIC’s highest honour?the RAIC Gold Medal. A special issue of Canadian Architect documented his work to-date on the occasion of his receipt of the Gold Medal. “The work of few practitioners fulfills the spirit and intent of the RAIC Gold Medal as Bing Thom’s does,? the Gold Medal jury wrote. ?It is generally understood that the Gold Medal should recognize and honour a life’s work: Work that is n...