The Hong Kong Institute of Landscape Architects (HKILA)： In Memory of Prof. Kongjian Yu (1963-2025)

The Hong Kong Institute of Landscape Architects (HKILA) mourns the passing of Professor Kongjian Yu, who tragically died in a plane crash in Brazil, marking the loss of a visionary in landscape architecture. Professor Yu studied at Beijing Forestry University and earned his Doctor of Design from Harvard GSD, returning to China in 1997 to found Turenscape and serve as Professor and Dean at Peking University. He pioneered ecological restoration and nature-based solutions, most notably the “Sponge City” concept, transforming global approaches to climate resilience and sustainable urban design. His celebrated projects, including Yanweizhou Park, Qunli Stormwater Wetland, Shanghai Houtan Park, and Benjakitti Forest Park, embody his belief that modern landscape architecture is “the art of survival.” Professor Yu received numerous international honors, including the 2020 IFLA Sir Geoffrey Jellicoe Award and the 2023 Cornelia Hahn Oberlander Prize, and was named a Forbes 2025 Sustainability Leader. His vision, warmth, and generosity left a lasting impact on Hong Kong and the global landscape architecture community, and his legacy will continue to inspire future generations through the landscapes he shaped and the lives he touched.

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Source：https://www.hkila.com/whats_new_posts/15997/