After 620 hours of learning and exploration over nine months; with the participation of over 320 students from 29 secondary schools; the graduation ceremony for the Hang Lung Young Architects Program (Program) was successfully held on July 21 (Saturday) at Asia Society Hong Kong Center.

The Program Advisers, numbering prominent architects and seasoned scholars, and Hang Lung’s top management together witnessed the birth of a new generation of young architects. The winners of the architectural tour design competition held in the last phase of the Program were also announced.

Over the past nine months, participating students were involved in a series of activities related to architecture and have personally designed architectural guided tour routes with their freshly-acquired knowledge and skills. The judges scored the tours based on architectural knowledge, creativity, expression, among other factors, and selected three winning teams – Champion: Ying Wa Girls’ School; First Runnerup: Po On Commercial Association Wong Siu Ching Secondary School; Second Runner-up: YPICA Lee Lim Ming College. The three winning teams will receive scholarships and take part in architectural tours in Japan, Singapore, and Shanghai, organized by the Program this summer.

CEO Mr. Weber Lo grew up in Wah Fu Estate, studied on Hong Kong Island during his secondary and university years, and has witnessed the transformation of the architectural landscape of Hong Kong over the years. At the graduation ceremony, he expressed his heartfelt thanks to all Program Advisers, Program Mentors and participating students for inheriting the city’s architectural legacy together. He said, “As a major property developer in Hong Kong, Hang Lung is very pleased to leverage on our connections and the professional knowledge of our colleagues in establishing a platform for the inheritance of Hong Kong’s architecture. We hope this Program will ignite the architectural interests of young people, expand their horizons, and encourage students to appreciate the characteristics and historical stories behind the buildings in Hong Kong.”

Besides inviting 14 Directors from Hang Lung’s project management team as well as leading members of the architectural and academic communities as Program Advisers, the Program also engaged 54 university students and graduates in architecture or related disciplines to act as Program Mentors and to share their insights with the younger participating students and give appropriate guidance and support throughout the Program. At the graduation ceremony, outstanding mentors were presented with certificates of commendation for their contribution to the inheritance of Hong Kong’s architecture and history that was bequeathed to students of the Program.