New prestigious commission for Tengbom in China

Tengbom, one of the leading architectural firms in Scandinavia, has won a new prestigious commission in China. The assignment consists of designing the Asian Games Village and the nearby sports arenas in Guangzhou, about 150 km from Beijing. Tengbom is one of eight firms invited to take part in the competition. This is one of many ongoing projects in the Chinese market for Tengbom, which has increased its focus internationally.

Tengbom’s new project in China consists of planning and designing the central area of the Asian Games in Guangzhou, which will host the 16th World Asian Games, a multi-sport event held every four years. The competition, which will take place in November 2010, is expected to attract 45 nationalities, represented by 12,000 athletes competing in 42 different sports. Guangzhou (previously Canton) is the capital of Guangdong province in the southern part of China. The area in question covers approximately 33 hectares. Apart from the urban planning of the whole area, the commission includes designing several of the buildings, among these the central arena and the media centre. The client is the Guangzhou Urban Planning Authority.

- We offer experience and competence both when it comes to urban planning and designing public facilities and sports arenas. We also have considerable knowledge in the area of sustainability and the environment, which is an important argument when the Chinese buy architectural services at the moment. Chinese authorities and property developers have, in other words, realized the importance of sustainable thinking in the present Chinese property boom, says Magnus Meyer, CEO of Tengbom.
- The fact that Tengbom has been invited to take part in the competition confirms our strong position as architects and urban planners, not least considering that the other competitors belong to the top segment in the world in these areas. Other firms include British Arup and Zaha Hadid, German GMP, French AIA and American Parsons Brinckerhoff, he continues.

At the moment, Tengbom is working on a number of projects in China, but also in countries such as India, England, and Tanzania.

- The reason for our venture into the international market is that we have noted that there is a good potential for Swedish architecture abroad, not least in China, where we can offer a leading edge in both design and environmental aspects of construction, Magnus Meyer states.

For further information, please contact:
Magnus Meyer, CEO Tengbom, phone +46 8 412 52 12