Canadian architect shares stories on 100 designs

Hong Kong Open Page Publishing Company Ltd. recently published "The Stories Behind 100 Designs," authored by the distinguished Canadian architect Fu Guohua. The book signing ceremony took place at the Hong Kong Book Fair on July 21.

The cover of the book "The Stories Behind 100 Designs." Photos courtesy of Hong Kong Open Page Publishing Company Ltd.

Fu is a professor at the Peter Guohua Fu School of Architecture, McGill University, and the founder of KFS Architects Inc., Canada. 

During the ceremony, Fu shared insights about his new book: “This is a summary of the architectural projects I have led over the past 25 years, along with their spin-offs including musicals, dance dramas, sculptures, paintings, and games. We hope people will appreciate the stories behind architectural designs and enjoy them. Through this, we aspire to connect architecture with the broader visual arts.”

The book features 100 stories, nearly half of which showcase projects in Shanghai, while nearly 20 are located in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area. One standout project is Music on the TM River in Hengqin, completed last year and widely praised for its innovation.

The specially designed architectural project "Music on the TM River."

“Music on the TM River is a specially designed architectural project for Hengqin that took 15 years to complete. The concept is a horizontal guqin floating on the Tianmu River — half of it is the building, and the other half its reflection,” Fu explained. “This project belongs uniquely to Hengqin; it could never be replicated in New York, Beijing, or Shanghai.”

Reflecting on his career, Fu added, “The more than 500 remarkable buildings I have helped bring to life are the greatest trophies of my professional journey.”