James K. M. Cheng

James K. M. Cheng is a Canadian architect best known for his condominium towers in Vancouver, British Columbia. Cheng's green glass towers have helped create the architectural style known as Vancouverism.

Cheng was born in Hong Kong and educated at the University of Washington and Harvard where he studied under Richard Meier. In Canada he then apprenticed under Arthur Erickson. He formed his own firm in 1978 when he won the commission for the Chinese Cultural Centre in Vancouver. Beginning in the 1990s Vancouver saw an unprecedented real estate boom that led to the construction of dozens of condo towers in the city. Cheng has become the leading residential tower designer of this period. UBC professor Dina Krunic has commented that "concrete construction and green glass façade, for which Vancouver is internationally known, are James Cheng's legacy."^[1]

While most of his projects are residential and in Vancouver, Cheng has other credits:

• Living Shangri-La currently the tallest building in Metro Vancouver
• King George Tower - designed proposed tower that if completed would be one of the tallest buildings in Canada
• The Fairmont Pacific Rim
• Shangri-La Toronto - mixed used hotel, condo tower in Toronto and second building built by Cheng oustide BC
• Lincoln Square in Bellevue, Washington and first building built by Cheng oustide BC
• Shaw Tower - mix residential-commercial office tower
• Parc Residences in Victoria, BC - residential mid-rise
• The Falls in Victoria, BC - residential mid-rise with retail base
• Terminal City Club Tower - mixed used hotel, condo and officer tower

References

• Emporis - James KM Cheng Architects Inc.