Li Hu, founding partner of OPEN Architecture, director of Columbia University GSAPP’s Studio-X Beijing, and former partner of Steven Holl Architects.
Li Hu received his B. Arch. from Tsinghua University in Beijing in 1996 and M. Arch. from Rice University in 1998. He worked at Steven Holl Architects from 2000 to 2010, and became a partner of the firm in 2005. During his time at SHA, Li founded and led the firm’s Beijing Office, and was responsible for the firm’s influential urban projects in Asia, including Linked Hybrid in Beijing, Vanke Center in Shenzhen, Raffles City in Chengdu and Sifang Art Museum in Nanjing. Linked Hybrid won the best tall building award in 2009; Vanke Center in Shenzhen was the first LEED Platinum Building in China and won AIA National Honor Award in 2011. Li left the partnership at Steven Holl Architects in 2011 to focus on the practice of OPEN Architecture with partner Wenjing Huang. A number of projects designed by OPEN are being built or have been built, including Gehua Youth and Cultural Center in Qinhuangdao, Beijing No.4 Middle School Fangshan Campus, Columbia University GSAPP’s Studio-X Beijing, ects. Gehua Youth and Cultural Center has been awarded the first prize of 2012 WA Chinese Architecture Award and Chinese Architecture Media Awards.
Li Hu was appointed director of Columbia University GSAPP’s Studio-X Beijing since 2009, hosting its teaching, exhibition and academic activities. He lectures frequently at universities and cultural institutions in the U.S. and Asia. He is a visiting teacher for Columbia University and the University of Hong Kong. In 2002 he co-founded the independent Architectural magazine 32: Beijing/New York together with Steven Holl and Yungho Chang. Li Hu was awarded 2011 most creative icons by Outlook Magazine. In 2012, he was invited to be space category curator of the first China Design Exhibition hosted by Ministry of Culture, P.R. China.
