Gary Chang

Gary Chang founded his company EDGE in 1994, and quickly gained a reputation for his dedication to exploration of new ideas to Architecture and design as well as award-winning multi-disciplinary designs. In 2003, the company was renamed EDGE Design Institute Ltd. to better describe its mix of research-based and commercial activities.

Though inescapably urban, Gary’s portfolio is not one of soaring office towers for big corporate clients, but concentrates on the spirit of space and redefinition of boundaries.

In the past decade, Gary’s major cultural and educational commissions have included the controversial Suitcase House in Beijing at the Commune by the Great Wall; the Kung Fu Tea Set as part of the “Tea and Coffee Towers” series created by leading lifestyle accessories design brand, Alessi; a “Workstation” for Ogilvy & Mather Asia Pacific, The Broadway Cinematheque in Hong Kong, Recalibration of The Hong Kong Arts Centre, the Mega-iAdvantage Data Centre Building in Hong Kong, The Kitagata Housing Project in Gifu, The Hong Kong Pavilion at the 50th Anniversary the PRC, Beijing in 1999 and numerous other projects in China, Hong Kong, Japan, Middle East, Europe and others, including designing apartments and houses for an international list of private clients. His commercial commissions include clubhouse, retails, hotel, restaurant, office, yacht and aircraft interiors as well as product designs.

Chang has won many awards in Asia and across the globe for his architectural, interior and product designs including the International Design Competition at the XVII Triennial Exhibition of Architecture, Milan (1985) for The Office Space of the Future, The Hong Kong Institute of Architect President’s Prize (1996) for Broadway Cinematheque, The Hong Kong Young Architect Award organized by Asian Cultural Council (1996), ar+d Awards in 2002 and 2003 in Copenhagen and London for Light Hotel and Suitcase House respectively, The 25th Central Glass International Architectural Design Competition in Tokyo (1990), The Dedalo-Minosse International Prize, Vicenza (2002), Architecture + Award 2004, Design for a New World in Dubai for the Suitcase House Project, Design for Asia Award, Distinguished Design from China by the Hong Kong Design Centre. Gary was the only one from Hong Kong / China being included in the Book “40 Architects Under 40” published by Taschen in 2000. Two of his latest projects, A Domestic Transformer (Gary’s Apartment M-2007) and ECOLS have won the Design for Asia Award 2009 Grand Award and Bronze Award respectively.

Since 1995 he has taught at The University of Hong Kong as Associate Professor and a number of other institutions locally and abroad. Over the years his involvement has increased to giving keynote lectures at conferences and various institutions across the globe.

Gary Chang was among the first group of representatives from Hong Kong to be presented in the International Biennial Exhibition of Architecture in Venice in 2000 titled “Strangled Vision (Hong Kong) – A Hidden Locality – In Memory of the Consumed Future and the Fading Present”. He was again invited to exhibit his 2 projects: The Kung-Fu Teaset by Alessi and Suitcase House in Beijing at the Venice Biennial in 2002. Gary appeared also in the Archilab Architectural symposium in 2001; “Cities on the Move” Exhibition at the Secession in Vienna, 1997 and The Rumor of China Towns Chinese Architecture 2004 – Exhibition, October 2004 at the Museum of Contemporary Art in Taipei. In 2006 he was invited to participate the 2006– 2007 New Trends of Architecture in Europe and Asia-Pacific in Patras and it’s planned to travel to different cities. He has published a series of literary works and academic theses including “Suitcase House” (2004), “Hotels As Home” (2005 & 2006), My 32sqm Apartment – A 30 Year Transformation (2008) and “My 100 Hotels As Home 2004-2009” (2009).

Gary has been appointed as Advisory Board Members in various local and overseas institutions including the Hong Kong Trade Development Council, Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong Design Centre and Philips as one of the 5 Simplicity Advisory Board Members.

Gary Chang graduated from The University of Hong Kong in 1987 with a degree in Architecture. He was born in Hong Kong in 1962.

Raymond Chan

Thyne Kong