In early March, news broke that Ole Scheeren, director of OMA's Beijing office, is leaving to start his own studio. The 39-year-old architect also accepted a visiting professor position at Hong Kong University.
"My collaboration with Rem Koolhaas and OMA has been an extraordinary experience... We have generated some remarkable projects both in East Asia and North America," he said in a statement. "The time has now come for me to pursue new opportunities, and I am very excited about this next phase of my work."
Born in Karlsruhe, Germany, Scheeren graduated from London's Architectural Assocation. In 1995, he joined OMA's Rotterdam office and was named a partner in 2002. He was in charge of the firm's work for Prada before helming its Asian operations.
Koohaas said Scheeren "has played a significant role" in developing the OMA's Beijing office and "has successfully led the realization of the CCTV project." He added: "After 15 years of collaboration, we have now decided to work independently. I am personally looking forward to furthering OMA's activities in Asia."
David Gianotten, general manager of OMA Asia, will now oversee the firm's Beijing and Hong Kong offices.
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