The Royal Institute of British Architects is pleased to announce Professor Zhang Li as the first guest Chief Editor, from 1 July to the end of December 2021, for the RIBA World Architecture app. Zhang Li's appointment will play a vital role in curating contributions and co-driving editorial for the app.
Professor Zhang Li is the Dean of Architecture and Vice-Principal at THADI, Tsinghua University, one of the top 10 architecture schools in the world. Zhang Li is also the lead architect of award winning practice, TeamMinus in Beijing, whose ethos is based around producing alternative modernity in China. Started as a design laboratory in 2001, the office is now 50 strong and works on projects of varying scales. The practice has won several awards in Europe and China, including the Zomtobel Group Award for Young Practice, ArchMarathon Best Art and Culture Building Milan, and was highly commended in the AR+D London competition in 2013.
Zhang Li has an influential role in the Chinese architecture scene as the Architect-in-Chief of Zhangjiakou Zone and Shougang Big Air, both for the Beijing Winter Olympics, Roof Gardens of China Pavilion in Shanghai Expo (2010), and is also the curator of the Venice Pavilion for Beijing scheduled for May 2021. In addition, Zhang is a standing board member of the Architectural Society of China and the Editor-in-Chief of the Chinese magazine World Architecture.
The RIBA Architecture World app was successfully launched on 9 March 2021 and can now be downloaded on the Apple and Android app stores. The app is intended to increase knowledge exchange and share architecture content more widely in the architecture community in China and be a collaborative project to showcase Chinese architects and architecture.
Azlina Bulmer, Director of International at RIBA, commented on the appointment of Zhang Li as the guest Chief Editor: "We are humbled to have Professor Zhang Li as the inaugural Chief Editor of RIBA app. Professor Zhang brings with him such depth and breadth of knowledge and experience in world class design and architecture which will enrich the content on the app. We have no doubt subscribers will thoroughly benefit from his editorial."
Professor Zhang Li said: "I’m very excited to join as the first guest Chief Editor of the RIBA World Architecture app. I’m looking forward to the future collaboration."
