RMJM woes continue as another big name resigns in 2012

Architect RMJM’s miserable start to 2012 has continued with the resignation of one of its most senior designers in Asia.

Hong Kong-based Georges Hung, who joined the firm in 2007 and was design director in the company’s Asia studio, resigned on Wednesday, Building understands.

The award-winning architect, who began his career in New York, is the second big name figure to resign from RMJM this year following the resignation of European design director Paul Stallan, which came two days after the dismissal of Scottish managing principal Alistair Brand in January.

In a statement released by the firm, Georges Hung said: “I have resigned my full time position to pursue personal interests. However, I will continue to work on a part time basis to follow through on ongoing projects which I remain committed to.”

The cash-strapped firm, which delayed its salary payments to staff in both December and January, also lost its US design director Peter Schubert before Christmas.

Hung’s profile page on the RMJM website - which was still operational at the time of writing - said he had 20 years of international experience including work on projects in China, Vietnam, Dubai, Abu Dhabi, France, Portugal and Sweden.

RMJM also faced criticism this week from its former star architect, Will Alsop, who called its much-publicised hiring of Sir Fred Goodwin “stupid”.

Alsop, who ran the ‘Will Alsop at RMJM’ division in London before leaving last summer, told Building’s sister title Building Design that “he “began to get worried” about the practice following the departure of David Pringle, the head of RMJM’s Asia and Middle East division in the middle of 2010.

“Another big concern for me was when they appointed Fred Goodwin,” he said. “It was a PR nightmare, just stupid.”

RMJM was unavailable to comment at the time of writing.