The Cultural Affairs Bureau (ICM) invited internationally renowned architect Francine Houben to host a lecture at the Macao Cultural Centre Grand Auditorium, to share her unique creative concepts.
Houben’s lecture, titled “People, Place, Purpose and Poetry”, was held on the evening of Tuesday 28 November.
Francine Houben once served as the professor of mobility aesthetics at the Delft University of Technology, was awarded several international prizes, such as the Prix des Femmes Architectes in 2019 and the European Prize for Architecture in 2021. Mecanoo Architecten, the architecture office founded by her, has been selected to design the New Macao Central Library in 2021.
During the lecture Houben introduced the unique features of her works, elaborated on how to create lively and innovative urban spaces which fulfil the needs of architectural functions, and showcased the design concept of seeking harmony between humanity and space.
In addition to the lecture, the architect also walked around the Historic Center of Macau during the trip to Macau. She visited the Ho Tung Library, Patane Library, Macao Central Library and the surrounding areas of Tap Seac Square. Being deeply interested in the SAR’s revitalization projects of turning historical buildings into libraries, Francine Houben was deeply impressed by Macau’s cultural district with a humanistic atmosphere and the blending of Chinese and Western cultures.
