Paul Bo Peng

LEGENDARY INTERVIEW

Design Legends ("DL") had the distinct honour to interview legendary designer Paul Bo Peng ("PBP") for their original perspective and innovative approach to design as well as their creative lifestyle, we are very pleased to share our interview with our distinguished readers.

DL: Could you please tell us a bit about your design background and education?

PBP : I’ve been working in architecture and urban planning for nearly 40 years—designing countless projects. Some have been built and won international awards; others are still on the drawing board, waiting for the right moment. I graduated with a Master’s in Architecture from the University of New South Wales in 1994, and later studied at Harvard’s Graduate School of Design.

DL: What motivates you to design in general, why did you become a designer?

PBP : Design is always a challenge—and I love challenges. I’m especially drawn to project types I’ve never done before. That curiosity is probably what led me to become a designer in the first place.

DL: Did you choose to become a designer, or you were forced to become one?

PBP : Ever since I was a kid, I admired those designers in hard hats, holding rolled-up drawings and directing things on construction sites. I feel lucky I eventually got to join their ranks.

DL: What do you design, what type of designs do you wish to design more of?

PBP : My work spans architecture, urban planning, landscape, and interiors. But if I had to pick a favorite? I’d say resort hotels—I really enjoy designing those.

DL: What should young designers do to become a design legend like you?

PBP : Young designers should study the work of the masters they admire. And nothing beats traveling—to see, feel, and experience great built works firsthand. It really sharpens your spatial intuition and eye for detail.

DL: What distinguishes between a good designer and a great designer?

PBP : The difference between a good designer and a great one lies in how deeply they understand the environment, architecture, history—and people.

DL: What makes a good design a really good design, how do you evaluate good design?

PBP : There are many ways to judge great design, but here’s a simple test: if you visit a building and find yourself wanting to go back—that’s probably a truly great design.

DL: What would you design and who would you design for if you had the time?

PBP : If I had the time, I’d love to design spiritual spaces—like a chapel—for a client who shares my values and vision.

DL: What is the dream project you haven’t yet had time to realize?

PBP : My dream project that’s still unrealized? Designing my own private art estate—something like Geoffrey Bawa’s Lunuganga or Hiroshi Sugimoto and Tomoyuki Sakakida’s Enoura Observatory.

DL: Who are some other design masters and legends you get inspired from?

PBP : I get inspired in lots of ways—books, media, sure—but most powerfully when I’m standing in a space myself, experiencing it firsthand.

DL: What are your favorite designs by other designers, why do you like them?

PBP : I really admire Louis Kahn, Peter Zumthor, David Chipperfield, and Thom Mayne. The way they interpret architectural space moves me deeply.

DL: How could people improve themselves to be better designers, what did you do?

PBP : To become a better designer? Read more, travel more, and go see great buildings in person. That’s what I’ve always done—and it never fails.

DL: If you hadn’t become a designer, what would you have done?

PBP : If I hadn’t become an architect, I’d probably be playing the cello professionally.

DL: How do you define design, what is design for you?

PBP : For me, architecture is about intentionally creating spatial order—it’s not random stacking, but finding the best solution within constraints: – Balancing function and beauty (like Bawa’s Lunuganga, turning jungle into livable poetry) – Creating dialogue between time and space (like Sugimoto’s Enoura, trapping millennia of light in a 100-meter tunnel) Design = empathy × constraints × iteration. It could be an estate, a corridor of light—or even the rhythm of this sentence.

DL: What helped you to become a great designer?

PBP : I owe a lot to the times I lived in. China’s construction boom over the past two decades gave me the chance to contribute—and I tried to make the most of it.

DL: What’s your next design project, what should we expect from you in future?

PBP : My next project is the Guangzhou Pearl River Brewery redevelopment. We’re turning it into an urban complex in Guangzhou’s core that coexists with its industrial heritage—think of it as Guangzhou’s Pompidou Center.

DL: What’s your ultimate goal as a designer?

PBP : I don’t have a grand “final goal.” I just hope each next project is better than the last.

DL: How does design help create a better society?

PBP : Design isn’t just about making things “look good”—it’s a systemic way of solving problems. By putting people at the center and weaving together function, beauty, technology, and social impact, design can reshape spaces, services, systems—even cities and policies—to improve lives, promote equity, cut waste, and spark innovation. Design isn’t decoration; it’s a lever for social change. When we expand “user” to mean the entire ecosystem, every sketch and prototype becomes a vote for a more inclusive, sustainable, and empathetic future.

DL: What are you currently working on that you are especially excited about?

PBP : Right now, we’re working on the master plan competition for Khunnu City in Mongolia. Our vision is to turn this airport city into a sustainable, smart, and culturally rooted hub that connects Asia and Europe.

DL: Which design projects gave you the most satisfaction, why?

PBP : No project is perfect—but if I had to pick one I’m most satisfied with, it’s the Heyuan Library in the Hakka Cultural Park. It’s modern and minimal, yet draws deeply from the traditional “Wufeng Lou” courtyard layout of Hakka architecture. It’s a clear example of our core belief: using contemporary design to reinterpret Eastern tradition.

DL: How long does it take you to finalize a design project?

PBP : It really depends. Some projects wrap up in weeks; others take years.

DL: Do you think design sets the trends or trends set the designs?

PBP : It’s not an either/or situation. Design and trends feed each other—design shapes trends, and trends reshape design.

DL: What is the role of technology when you design?

PBP : Technology plays a huge role—from drafting software and 3D modeling to rendering and now AI. It makes the design process faster, more precise, and higher quality. But at the end of the day, it’s the designer’s mind that steers everything—and that’s something no tool can replace.

DL: What is the role of the color, materials and ambient in design?

PBP : Color, material, and environment are the three pillars of design. They don’t just determine whether something “looks good”—they shape how people perceive, move, remember, and belong. – Color is a neural signal. – Material is muscle memory. – Environment is the skeleton and breath. Together, they create a closed loop of perception, decision, and emotion.

DL: Which people you interacted had the most influence on your design?

PBP : I’ve been most influenced by fellow designers who share my values and design philosophy.

DL: Which books you read had the most effect on your design?

PBP : Thom Mayne’s monograph had the biggest impact on me.

DL: Irrelative of time and space, who you would want to meet, talk and discuss with?

PBP : If I could meet anyone across time and space, it’d be Louis Kahn—I’d love to talk with him about architecture and light.

DL: How do you feel about all the awards and recognition you had, is it hard to be famous?

PBP : Fame isn’t hard to get—but staying consistently excellent after you’re famous? That’s the real challenge.

DL: What is your favorite color, place, food, season, thing and brand?

PBP : My favorite colors? Black, white, and gray. Favorite place? Sydney. Favorite food? Dumplings. Favorite season? Autumn. And I’m obsessed with sleek, high-end Danish audio gear.

DL: What makes your day great as a designer, how do you motivate yourself?

PBP : My day is made when I see people enjoying—relaxing, even moved—by the spaces I’ve designed.

DL: What do you think about future; what do you see will happen in thousand years from now?

PBP : You can glimpse the future by studying the past thousand years of architecture. Our “Dubai 2100” concept last year was our take on how cities might evolve over the next millennium.

DL: Please tell us anything you wish your fans to know about you, your design and anything else?

PBP : I hope people pay as much attention to the projects I’m designing now—the ones not yet built—as they do to what’s already finished. That’s where my future lies.