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Brian Lee (architect)

Brian Lee, FAIA, LEED®AP, is an architect and Design Partner in the Chicago office of Skidmore Owings & Merrill LLP (SOM). Lee received his Bachelor of Arts in Architecture from the University of California, Berkeley and his Master of Architecture from Harvard University Graduate School of Design before joining SOM’s San Francisco office in 1979. He was named a Partner in 1997 and moved to the Chicago office in 2007.

Within the innovative and collaborative environment of SOM, Lee has directed the design of many notable, award-winning buildings, including the China World Trade Center 3 and Poly Corporation Headquarters (both in Beijing); Poly Real Estate Headquarters in Guangzhou, China; the Tianjin Global Financial Center in Tianjin, China; the University of California San Diego Telemedicine Education Building; and the Kia Motors America Research and Development Project Design Center in Irvine, Calif.

Both the China World Trade Center and Tianjin Global Financial Center are the tallest buildings in their respective cities. “(T)here’s something exhilarating about a tall structure that makes a mark for a city and a region,” Lee told Chicago Public Radio in August 2013.

Speaking about Chicago in the same interview, Lee said, “The spirit of can-do here, and the real appreciation of architecture as being an accomplishment of generations of people that live in Chicago, is very strong. So I think that it’s a very beautiful place that can accommodate tall buildings. There’s a natural balance between the built environment and the natural environment.”

Work designed by Brian Lee that is currently under construction includes the CTF Finance Centre in Tianjin, China; Ningbo Bank of China Headquarters in Ningbo, China; and the Qingdao Shi Nan District Audit Bureau in Qingdao, China.

Lee is currently designing the Chinatown Branch Library in Chicago, in a design/build collaboration between SOM and Wight & Company.

Brian Lee has lectured at Harvard, UC Berkeley, California College of Arts, and the School of the Art Institute at Chicago. Mr. Lee served on numerous AIA awards juries and been published in Architecture, Architectural Record, AV, Plus, Dialogue, Business Week and World Architecture magazines. His work was exhibited in the 2004 Venice and Beijing Biennales and featured at the 2008 World Architecture Festival in Barcelona.

Significant projects

 * China World Trade Center 3, Beijing, China
 * Poly Corporation Headquarters; Beijing, China
 * Poly Real Estate Headquarters; Guangzhou, China
 * Tianjin Global Financial Center; Tianjin, China
 * University of California San Diego Telemedicine Education Building; San Diego, Calif.
 * Kia Motors America Research and Development Project Design Center; Irvine, Calif.