The RIBA Silver Medal was awarded to Ole Scheeren in 2000 for his "MexT Project," an analytical study of spatial, economic, and territorial dynamics. This early recognition set a foundation for a career that shifted between high-concept academic inquiry and the delivery of massive, complex urban structures across the Asian landscape and beyond.
Formative Years and Education
Born in 1971 in Karlsruhe, Germany, Scheeren was exposed to the field early by his father, Dieter Scheeren, a professor of architecture and civil engineering. By fourteen, he was designing furniture within his father's practice. His formal academic training took place at the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Lausanne, and the Architectural Association School of Architecture in London. Prior to these studies, he spent three months traveling through rural China at age twenty, an experience that influenced his later focus on urban development in the region.
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Take the IQ test →Tenure at OMA
Scheeren joined the Office for Metropolitan Architecture (OMA) in 1995. By 2002, he was appointed a partner and director, overseeing the firm's Asian operations from Beijing and Hong Kong. During this decade, he served as the partner-in-charge for major international commissions. His portfolio included the CCTV Headquarters and the Television Cultural Centre in Beijing, as well as the Prada Epicenters in New York and Los Angeles. He remained with OMA until March 2010.
Büro Ole Scheeren
Following his departure from OMA, he established his own firm, Büro Ole Scheeren, with offices in Beijing, Hong Kong, London, Berlin, and Bangkok. The firm's output includes the Guardian Art Center in Beijing, situated near the Forbidden City, and the DUO mixed-use development in Singapore. The 314-meter MahaNakhon tower in Bangkok, which housed the Ritz-Carlton Residences, was also completed under his principal leadership.
Current Global Projects
Scheeren continues to manage large-scale international developments. Current works under construction include the 333-meter Empire City complex in Ho Chi Minh City, the Shenzhen Wave headquarters for ZTE, and the Sanya Horizons resort on China’s Hainan Islands. In North America, the firm is developing Fifteen Fifteen, a residential high-rise project adjacent to Vancouver’s Crown Life Plaza.
Fast facts
- Born: 1971, Karlsruhe, Germany
- Education: Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, EPFL Lausanne, Architectural Association London
- Notable Recognition: RIBA Silver Medal (2000)
- Firm: Büro Ole Scheeren
- Previous Affiliation: Office for Metropolitan Architecture (1995-2010)
- Residence: Beijing (since 2004)
- TED Talk: "Why great architecture should tell a story?" (2015)
- Exhibition: "ole scheeren : spaces of life" at ZKM Karlsruhe (2022)
Questions readers ask
Which major project in Bangkok did Ole Scheeren lead?
He led the development of MahaNakhon, a 314-meter mixed-use tower.
When did he start his own architectural firm?
He left OMA in March 2010 to start Büro Ole Scheeren.
Achievements
- Trained at Karlsruhe Institute of Technology and Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Lausanne
