PKU Professor Yu Kongjian wins 2020 Sir Geoffrey Jellicoe Award
Oct 12, 2020
Peking University, October 12, 2020: On October 8, the International Federation of Landscape Architects (IFLA) held the 2020 Sir Geoffrey Jellicoe Award Ceremony online and offline. The winner goes to Peking University Professor Yu Kongjian. Entrusted by IFLA, PKU President Hao Ping attended the ceremony and presented the award to Yu.
Hao Ping presents the award to Yu Kongjian
IFLA President James Hayter extended his congratulations to Yu and introduced the development and achievements of IFLA. Hayter said Yu is one of the most influential landscape architects in the world, and his design works, lecture tours and educational activities have huge impact on professionals, students and the general public, hence changing people's perception of the landscape architecture industry.
James Hayter delivers a speech
In his speech, Hao congratulated Yu on receiving the award and spoke highly of Yu and his team’s contributions to China’s ecological civilization construction. Hao emphasized that the global pandemic of COVID-19 this year has prompted us to reflect on our relationship with nature and think about ways to achieve a comprehensive harmony between human beings and nature, in which landscape architecture will play an important role. Hao added that Peking University will give full play to its well-established disciplinary system and advance the disciplinary development of landscape architecture for better human settlements and ecological environment, as well as a more harmonious and beautiful world.
Yu gave a speech titled “My Journey to Heal the Planet”. He extended his sincere thanks to IFLA, the members of the nomination committee and the jury. Yu said the award was not only an honor of his own but also an international recognition for Peking University and China's academic research on landscape architecture. In his speech, Yu elaborated on his academic viewpoints and shared his insights into the discipline of landscape architecture based on his childhood, learning experiences, and case studies.
Yu Kongjian gives his speech
For over 20 years, Yu and his team, by absorbing Chinese traditional ecological wisdom and practicing eco-friendly solutions, have designed and completed over 500 landscape architecture projects for China and over 10 other countries in the world. They have made unique contributions to ecological protection and restoration, as well as the construction of sponge cities.
Inaugurated by IFLA in 2005, the Sir Geoffrey Jellicoe Award is the world-class highest lifetime achievement award in the field of human settlement construction and landscape architecture. It is also known as “the Noble Prize in Human Settlement Construction and Landscape Architecture”.
Written by: Wu Sihong
Edited by: Zhou Meng
Source: PKU News (Chinese)
