The people who live and work inside a building are as much a part of that building as concrete, steel and glass. He asks: Can architecture be about collaboration and storytelling instead of the isolation and hierarchy of a typical skyscraper? Visit five of Scheeren's buildings — from a twisted tower in China to a floating cinema in the ocean in Thailand — and learn the stories behind them.
Ole Scheeren is currently working on a series of projects, including Guardian Art Center, the new exhibition space and headquarters for China’s oldest art auction house currently under construction in close proximity to the Forbidden City in Beijing; DUO, a contemporary twin-tower mixed-use development comprising residences, offices, Andaz Singapore hotel and retail gallery in Singapore; MahaNakhon, at 314-meter soon to be Bangkok’s tallest tower and housing the Ritz-Carlton Residences; Angkasa Raya, a 268-meter tall landmark building in the center of Kuala Lumpur; and a studio/gallery building for a Beijing-based artist.
As former Partner and Director of Rem Koolhaas’ Office for Metropolitan Architecture in Beijing and Hong Kong, Scheeren directed the office's work across Asia. As partner-in-charge of OMA’s largest project to date, he successfully led the realization of the China Central Television Station CCTV and the Television Cultural Centre (TVCC) in Beijing. His other projects include MahaNakhon, a 314-meter mixed-use tower in the city of Bangkok by Pace Development; The Scotts Tower, featuring high-end apartments in Singapore; The Interlace, a 1000-unit residential complex in Singapore; a media centre in Shanghai; a project for Shenzhen’s new city centre; as well as the Taipei Performing Arts Centre. He directed OMA’s work for Prada and completed the Prada Epicenters in New York (2001) and Los Angeles (2004). He also led numerous other projects including the Beijing Books Building, the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, the Leeum Cultural Center in Seoul, and a masterplan for Penang Island, Malaysia.
Before Scheeren joined Rem Koolhaas and OMA in 1995 and became partner in 2002, he worked for architecture firms in Germany; collaborated with 2x4, a graphic design firm in New York; and was engaged in a range of projects through his own studio in the United Kingdom.
Scheeren has contributed to various arts and culture projects and exhibitions throughout his career, including the International Highrise Award,Milan Triennale, China Design Now in London, Cities on the Move in London and Bangkok, Media City Seoul and the Rotterdam Film Festival. In 2006 he designed two exhibitions for the Museum of Modern Art in New York and Beijing featuring the CCTV project. He regularly lectures at various international institutions and conferences and serves on juries for awards and competitions.
Educated at the universities of Lausanne and Karlsruhe, he graduated from the Architectural Association in London and he was awarded the RIBA Silver Medal.