Taiwanese Architect Shu Chang Kung, Advocate of Creativity and Design as “Social Mechanisms,” Receives Honorary Award at the 2024 Golden Pin Design Award

The Golden Pin Design Award announced today (November 6th, 2024) that the recipient of this year’s “Honorary Award” is Taiwanese architect Shu Chang Kung, who currently serves as a professor at National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University’s Graduate Institute of Architecture. The official presentation will take place during the awards ceremony on the evening of December 13th (Friday) at the Taiwan Traditional Theatre Center.

The Golden Pin Design Award bestows the “Honorary Award” annually to commend individuals for their outstanding or extraordinary long-term contributions to the research, promotion, or practice of Taiwanese design. It showcases the recipients’ remarkable achievements, aiming to inspire the design industry and its practitioners. Candidates are nominated by Taiwanese design-related associations or organizations or current Golden Pin Design Award jurors. The recipient is selected by the Golden Pin Design Award jury.

Kung graduated from Tunghai University’s Department of Architecture and holds master’s degrees in architecture and design from Harvard University. After returning to Taiwan, he established AURA Architects & Associates in 1997. His works always challenged the dialogue between architecture and natural organisms across various scales, materials, or site conditions. Works such as the Yilan County Government Kaixuan Community Park and Xinfu Temple Plaza, National Pingpei Senior High School, and National Singang Senior High School of Arts all received foreign and domestic awards.

In 2009, Kung decided to enter the academia. He started teaching and conducting research at National Chiao Tung University (NCTU). He also made a commitment to leverage his expertise for societal benefit, integrating architectural designs with volunteer social services, promoting “humanitarian architecture” projects in rural villages, and serving as a master planner and designer. In his role as master planner and designer, Kung brought together resources, NCTU teachers and students, and professional teams to jointly complete charitable projects such as the Landseed Health Center in Chitwan, Nepal or the Bethlehem Early Treatment and Integration Education Center in Tainan’s Xuejia District.

Urban planning and urban governance issues have long been of interest to Kung. He previously served as the chief adviser for urban planning for World Design Capital Taipei where he helped the Taipei City Government in applying design thinking to public policy, revitalizing traditional market streets such as Dadaocheng and transforming industrial heritage sites. Kung is also actively involved in the cross-disciplinary collaborations across culture, art, and architecture, with extensive experience in cultural curation. He has served as the chief curator and chief adviser of numerous editions of large-scale expos such as Taiwan Design Expo, City Expo, Creative Expo Taiwan, Hakka Expo, and World Flora Exposition. Kung advocates for incorporating design thinking into urban and cultural governance, transforming exhibitions from mere events into key drivers of urban regeneration. He was in charge of the overall planning and curation for the “Jiangjun Village Open Library Information Park” project in Hsinchu City, where he applied design thinking to regenerate the spaces in an old military dependents’ village and create a site that weaves together history, knowledge, and life. This redefinition of a contemporary “library” was a remarkable achievement.

Kung has also participated in numerous public service innovation projects. He served as an adviser on Taipei Metro’s aesthetics task force and as a juror and adviser for six editions of the Ministry of Education’s “Design Movement on Campus” project. He has fostered collaboration among the public sector, design teams, and public communities, using design to address environmental issues with unique solutions, thereby making it a catalyst for social progress and innovation. For his contributions to the professional field and social practice, Kung received the ROC Outstanding Architect Award at the eighth edition of the award, the Tunghai University Outstanding Alumni Award at the 21st edition of the award, and the Taipei Culture Award at the 24th edition of the award, which highlighted “long-term attention to social design, cultural diversity, and the promotion of cultural resources equality.”

At the heart of Kung’s philosophy is “social design,” a principle he champions as an architect, educator, and activist. He has put the social responsibility of design into practice in different fields, significantly contributing to the innovation in Taiwan’s urban governance and public services. After learning that he would be receiving the “Honorary Award,” Kung stated that after his chapter at his architectural firm concluded, he became engrossed in exploring how design can address the challenges of modern life and urban environments. Following the 2011 Tohoku earthquake in Japan, the government and the private sector joined forces for the reconstruction efforts. This led Kung to realize that design can go beyond simple physical planning–it can reconnect people with the land and empower them to reclaim their lives. Inspired by this, He began exploring ways to transform creativity and design into “social mechanisms” that foster cross-disciplinary cooperation and drive urban transformation.

Kung thanked the Golden Pin Design Award for naming him as the recipient of its “Honorary Award.” He said this is not only an honor of great personal significance, but also a joint recognition of those design teams that have worked hard together over the years: “This award affirms our redefinition of design’s value—demonstrating that design can genuinely touch hearts and actively transform our environment and lives.”

The Honorary Award will be officially presented to Kung at the 2024 Golden Pin Design Awards ceremony on Friday, December 13th. Winners of the highest honors, including the Best Design Awards and Special Annual Awards, will also be announced. The ceremony will be broadcast live on the official YouTube channel in both Chinese and English. For the latest news, please follow updates on the official website and social media accounts on Facebook, Instagram, and X/Twitter.