Arup in China

In 2000, China’s accession to the World Trade Organisation initiated a big round of development. There wasn’t much in Beijing during the 1980s and 1990s – most of the development was taking place in Shanghai and southern China. Now, the whole city is very exciting. Aside from all the work in preparation for the Olympics, most of the big companies operating in China have an office in the city. Arup opened a Beijing office in 2001.

How long has Arup worked in China?

Since 1984 – it was one of the first foreign consultants there. We started in Shanghai, but since then we’ve done 150 projects, mostly on the east coast.

How did the firm first start to pick up work there?

We became involved with some projects because Hong Kong developers we had worked with moved into China. We were employed directly by the client – they came to us because they knew us. However, our involvement in the Beijing National Stadium, National Swimming Centre and Capital Airport were all the result of competitions we won with architectural firms.

Is Arup an established name in China?

Local developers are keen to associate their projects with major architects and engineers. Sales brochures have the names of the project team listed as a selling point. Developers see Arup as respectable and a strong practice.

Is the working culture different in China?

Yes. Clients want to see the designer and the architect face to face. They want to see that senior managers are involved – it gives them confidence in the designer. They also want a decision-maker to be present in meetings. I’m bilingual and I understand the cultural differences.

How much longer will the Beijing boom continue?

At the moment the market is still very active – all the designs for the big Olympic-related projects have been decided, but there are still spin-offs such as hotels, residential schemes, infrastructure and railway work to be completed. Other cities around Beijing are also developing and we would expect our business to spread out to include these over the coming years.

What is the best project you have worked on?

All of the work in Beijing at the moment. I’m very privileged to be in this place at this time because every single project – the stadium, the airport, the China World Trade Centre – is the project of a lifetime. I’m involved in every one of them – the only problem is that there is never enough time.