Jimmy Lim Cheok Sang (Chinese: 林倬生; pinyin: Lín Zhuōshēng),[2] born 1944, Penang, Straits Settlement (now part of Malaysia), is an ethnic-Chinese Malaysian architect.
Professor Professor Dr. Ar. Jimmy Lim | |
|---|---|
| Born | 1944 |
| Nationality | Malaysian |
| Alma mater | University of New South Wales |
| Occupation | Architect |
| Spouse | Winnie Cheah |
| Children | Lim Wei Ling[1] Lim Cho-Wei |
| Awards | Aga Khan Prize |
| Practice | Project Architects CSL Associates (now Jimmy Lim Design) |
Early life and career edit
Lim was born in Penang in 1944. He has stated that he was interested in architecture from an early age due to the renovation activities of his grandfather, and due to a visit to the Kek Lok Si temple.[3] In 1959 he left Penang for studies in Sydney, Australia, where he attended boarding school. In 1964 he began studying at the school of architecture of the University of New South Wales.[4] Lim remained in Australia for 13 years before returning to Malaysia in 1972 to work as an architect for the Project Architects firm. His first project in Malaysia was a semi-conductor plant in Subang for Motorola.[5]
In 1978 Lim began his own architecture firm, CSL associates, which is now called Jimmy Lim Design. His design for the Salinger House won a Aga Khan Award for Architecture during the 1996–1998 cycle of that prize. Other prominent designs of his include the Schnyder house (AKA Precima House) which was designed for Swiss businessman Rolf W. Schnyder, the Menara Prudential office tower in Kuala Lumpur, Resorts World Awana in Genting Highlands, and the TY Chiew house. In 2012 he received the SIA-Getz Architecture Prize for Emergent Architecture in Asia for sustainability.[2][6] Lim was president of the Malaysian Institute of Architects, (Pertubuhan Akitek Malaysia, or PAM), and received their gold medal for lifetime services to the architecture profession.[7][3]
Lim is an advocate of natural design and the use of wood in construction.[8] Lim also advocates prioritising interior over exterior design.[9]
Lim Guan Eng defamation lawsuit edit
In December 2013 an article quoting Jimmy Lim entitled "Guan Eng has failed, says NGO", about what he characterised as the destruction of Malaysian heritage in developments schemes carried out under the government of Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng, was published on the Malaysian online news portal Free Malaysia Today. The article was particularly critical of the 2009 demolition of the 200-year old Kampung Buah Pala, and stated that Lim Guan Eng was indifferent to the fate of Indian communities.[10] Lim Guan Eng then sued Jimmy Lim as well as other parties alleging defamation, and in August 2013 received a decision at the George Town High Court in his favour ordering the defendants to pay RM300,000 in damages and RM30,000 in legal costs. This decision, however, was overturned in 2016 on appeal to the Malaysian Court of Appeal, on the grounds that the article taken as a whole was not defamatory. Judge Hamid Sultan Abu Backer, the chair of the court, described the article as "written in a temperate tone".[11]
Personal life edit
Lim is married to Malaysian educator and Professional Violinist Winnie Cheah who founded Symphonia Fantasia String Ensemble.[12] [13] His daughter Lim Wei-Ling founded Wei-Ling Gallery and Wei-Ling Contemporary[14] in 2002 and 2011 respectively and runs the Malaysian heritage NGO, Badan Warisan, that he co-founded.[3][1]
References edit
- ^ a b Chan, Eric Ian (22 September 2018). "The Career U-Turn That Changed Lim Wei Ling's Life". Unreserved. The Malaysian Reserve. Retrieved 6 January 2022.
- ^ a b Wang, Haibo (23 October 2012). "马来西亚华人建筑师获颁"亚洲新锐建筑奖"(图)". Chinanews.com.cn (in Chinese). China News Service. Retrieved 6 January 2022.
- ^ a b c "Jimmy Lim (Asia's Most Influential 2021)". Tatler Asia. 2021. Retrieved 6 January 2022.
- ^ Wilson, Lewis (Autumn 2020). "Double Vision: Culture, Context, and Climate". IGS Magazine (Asia-Pacific Special Issue). pp. 78–93. Retrieved 6 January 2022.
- ^ Rafee, Hanah (5 September 2016). "A master of his craft". The Edge Malaysia Weekly. Retrieved 6 January 2022.
- ^ "Jimmy Lim wins SIA-GETZ Architecture Prize". The Edge Weekly. 19–25 November 2012. Retrieved 6 January 2022.
- ^ Azuar, Azalea (2 October 2020). "The way forward for Malaysian architecture". The Malaysian Reserve. Retrieved 6 January 2022.
- ^ Sundar, Nandhini (18 March 2016). "The sustainable timber". The Hindu. Retrieved 6 January 2022.
- ^ Lawson, Bryan (2012). What Designers Know. Taylor & Francis. p. 57. ISBN 9781136349003. Retrieved 6 January 2022.
- ^ Springer, James H. (2018). Malaysia's Canvas: The Blistering Saga of a Flash in the Pan Art Revolution. Gerak Budaya. pp. 208–209. ISBN 9789670311586. Retrieved 14 July 2022.
- ^ Reduan, Hidir (23 May 2016). "Court quashes RM300k award for Guan Eng over defamation suit". New Straits Times. Retrieved 14 July 2022.
- ^ Khoo, Salma Nasution; Hayes, Alison; Zimbulis, Sehra (2010). Giving Our Best The Story of St. George's Girls' School, Penang, 1885–2010. Areca Books. p. 197. ISBN 9789675719042. Retrieved 6 January 2022.
- ^ Symphonia Fantasia String Ensemble. "Facebook". www.facebook.com. Retrieved 13 September 2023.
- ^ "Wei-Ling Gallery". weiling-gallery.com. Retrieved 13 September 2023.