Chinese landscape architect Kongjian Yu dies in Brazil plane crash
World-renowned Chinese landscape architect and urban planner Kongjian Yu died in a plane crash in Brazil’s Mato Grosso do Sul state on Sept. 24, Brazilian authorities confirmed. He was 62.
Yu, best known for pioneering the “sponge cities” concept — an urban planning approach that uses nature-based solutions to absorb and store rainwater — rose to international prominence after China adopted his ideas on a large scale. The model has since been applied in cities across China and beyond, including in the United States and Russia, News.Az reports, citing Reuters.
Authorities said Yu was traveling with three others — the pilot and two Brazilian filmmakers — when their aircraft went down near Aquidauana in the Pantanal wetlands. All four were killed.
Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva paid tribute, saying Yu had become a “global reference” in the fight against climate change, combining quality of life with environmental protection through his designs.
Yu had been in Brazil for the São Paulo International Architecture Biennale, where he appeared in the opening program before joining a documentary project about his work.
At home, Peking University’s College of Architecture and Landscape, which Yu founded and led as dean, mourned his death in a statement:
"Many of the completed projects led by him have earned international acclaim for their seamless integration of ecological function and artistic expression, offering forward-looking Chinese solutions to global ecological challenges."
Yu also founded Turenscape, a Beijing-based design firm established in 1998, which grew under his leadership into a team of more than 500 specialists. He served as principal designer and advised numerous government agencies in China throughout his career.
His passing has been described as a profound loss not only for China but for the global field of ecological landscape design.
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