EDWIN CHAN
Edwin Chan received his Bachelor of Arts at UC Berkeley, and Master of Architecture from the Graduate School of Design at Harvard. After graduation, Edwin joined Frank O. Gehry & Associates in Los Angeles; and has been the Design Partner with Mr. Gehry for many significant cultural and institutional projects. Edwin has lectured internationally, and has been recognized with many awards and distinctions, including the honor of “Chevalier de l’Ordre des Arts et des Lettres” from France. In 2012, Edwin launched his Los Angelesbased architectural and design studio – EC3; founded on the principle to Empower Crossdisciplinary Collaboration in Creativity.
If there was one piece of art you could feature in, which would it be and why?
The Rodan Crater by James Turrell:
It’s the closest thing to having an extra-planetary experience while being on earth!
How will museums impact future cities?
The museum in the future will focus more the process of art creation (rather than art collecting), and visitor engagement (with more public amenities and educational programming).
The African-American Museum in Washington DC will most likely transform the public’s understanding and awareness of black history in the US; and looking ahead, the soon-toopen Louvre Abu Dhabi and National Museum in Qatar (both designed by Jean Nouvel) will change the economy of the Gulf states from oil-based to cultural tourism.
What are your favourite emerging cultural cities and / or organisations in the world and why?
Bogota:
For the energy, passion and entrepreneurial spirit of it’s new generation,
And Istanbul:
For it’s rich layers of cultures that still inspire delightful encounters and surprise discoveries.
Who do you think are the cultural innovators of tomorrow and why?
I think the cultural innovators of tomorrow will most likely emerge from places like China, India, and/or Latin America - countries that are not afraid of “Progress” and open to “Globalization” will become the cradle to foster innovation.
What are you up to at the moment and where can we find it? (Please include a link(s) if possible).
Putting the finish architectural touches on True North - a Creative Community in Detroit:
www.ec3.us