TIME Magazine has released their tenth-edition of the 100 issue, representing who they believe to be the world’s 100 most influential people in 2013. Gracing the list among music titan Jay-Z and Kickstarter CEO Perry Chen is architecture’s very own Wang Shu, who was honored for “successfully blending China’s quest for novel and eye-catching architecture with respect for traditional aesthetics.”
Recognized for his accomplishments in 2012 with the profession’s highest honor - the Pritzker Architecture Prize - the 49-year-old architect, along with his wife Lu Wenyu and their practice Amateur Architecture Studio, has inspired the world with monumental structures built from the recycled remnants of China’s short-lived buildings, which are often discarded into landfills. Some of his most notable works include the Ningbo History Museum, the New Academy of Art in Hangzhou, Ceramic House and Tiled Garden, an installation at the Venice Biennale of Architecture made from 66,000 recycled tiles.
TIME states: “In a country where centuries-old structures can disappear in a few short days, Wang is welcome proof that China’s architectural future doesn’t have to discard its past.”
Learn more about Wang Shu and his work, here on ArchDaily.