April 2010
Dear Colleagues,
Time is passing in a flash, because it has already been five months since I was installed as Chairman of the CTBUH on October 22nd 2009. A while ago Ron Klemencic, former Chair of the Council, mentioned that his daytime job was in his company and his nighttime job was the work for the Council. I did not realize what he meant at the time. But when I look back on the last five months, I see that as midnight in Seoul is 9:00 AM in Chicago, the meaning of ‘nighttime job’ is actually starting to become clear.
I have set three main goals for the first year of my chairmanship. The first is for membership which involves paying more attention to increasing individual, corporate and academic members. The second is revitalizing the activity of Working Groups, and the third is revitalizing the activity and contribution of Country Representatives.
I have contacted many companies to induce memberships in Korea, and I believe the results are becoming very successful. I am also going to make further contacts with companies in China, as there are numerous tall buildings being built these days in China. I expect positive outcomes from Chinese architectural firms and construction companies. Antony Wood and I will have opportunity to visit China and promote the Council this coming May. Increasing the number of individual memberships is something for which we all should work hard. I would like to ask for your consideration and participation.
Currently I am asking Working Group leaders and Country Representatives to propose their action plan for this year to raise more effective activity and better productivity. As this is done, we should be able to truly see the results towards our goals for the year 2010.
There are several new Country Representatives that I would like to introduce. Dr. Dr. Juneid Qureshi (Meinhardt Pte Ltd) from Singapore, Ms. Cathy Yang (Taipei 101) from Taiwan, and Dario Trabucco (IUAV di Venezia) from Italy.
I am inviting Country Representatives from countries closely located to Korea to the annual meeting to be held in Seoul this October. We plan to present and share our expertise, introduce special projects, and maintain friendly relations as we experience different cultures, to build a good international networking team. I am also considering visiting a Mideast country (likely to be Kuwait) later this year to promote the Council and foster international exchange, which will accompany intensive discussion about the development plan of the Council. A meeting with Country Representatives in Europe is being planned for the year 2011 as well.
The Board of Trustees has concluded to hold a CTBUH Conference in Seoul in October 2011, and CTBUH World Congress in Shanghai in October 2012. The Korean CTBUH in Seoul has started to search for a venue for the Seoul Conference, in just 19 months. Fall is the best season of all in Korea, and there are many international events planned during this season. The 2011 Seoul Conference is the second event hosted in Seoul by the Council (the first was the 2004 Seoul Conference), and we are working hard in planning a devoted program in tall building content for the Conference.
As we look forward, we also must not forget those who have come before. There are several persons of international note within the field of tall buildings that have left this world in recent days. The most recent loss was that of Lalit Gandhi, who co-chaired the CTBUH 2010 Mumbai Conference just eight weeks ago. All the participants of the Mumbai Conference and I are shocked and deeply saddened. We must recognize his outstanding contribution to the Council's development and his role as catalyst in bringing together the Indian building and urban habitat community.
Bruce Graham, a prominent leader of Skidmore, Owings & Merrill LLP has also passed away. We will always remember his work in designing the Willis Tower (formerly Sears Tower) and John Hancock Center, and as a past Advisory Board member of the Council.
Yuri Granik, who also left us recently, was one of the most respected minds in Russia in the studies and research of tall buildings. He had worked as the eldest officer of TSNIIEP in Russia for 52 years, and was a host at the CTBUH 2008 Moscow Conference.
Famous architects such as Der Scutt and Frank Williams should also be remembered. I'd like to express my deep grief and condolences for the loss of great persons in the industry.
In Korea, we are now turning a corner to springtime, the time of fresh sprouts that forecast the change of nature after a long winter. It is also time for the Council to work hard, with a view towards harvesting in the fall season.
Sincerely,
Sang Dae Kim