Charles Phu - AbsoluteAstronomy.com

Charles Phu is a London

London

London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...

-based architect

Architect

An architect is a person trained in the planning, design and oversight of the construction of buildings. To practice architecture means to offer or render services in connection with the design and construction of a building, or group of buildings and the space within the site surrounding the...

, opera

Opera

Opera is an art form in which singers and musicians perform a dramatic work combining text and musical score, usually in a theatrical setting. Opera incorporates many of the elements of spoken theatre, such as acting, scenery, and costumes and sometimes includes dance...

set designer, and painter. Born in Taiwan

Taiwan

Taiwan , also known, especially in the past, as Formosa , is the largest island of the same-named island group of East Asia in the western Pacific Ocean and located off the southeastern coast of mainland China. The island forms over 99% of the current territory of the Republic of China following...

, he was educated and has practiced architectural design in the United States. Phu has made a number of studies on architecture and cultures including Uyghurs, Mongolians, Uzbeks

Uzbeks

The Uzbeks are a Turkic ethnic group in Central Asia. They comprise the majority population of Uzbekistan, and large populations can also be found in Afghanistan, Tajikstan, Kyrgyzstan, Turkmenistan, Kazakhstan, Russia, Pakistan, Mongolia and the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region of China...

along the ancient Silk Road

Silk Road

The Silk Road or Silk Route refers to a historical network of interlinking trade routes across the Afro-Eurasian landmass that connected East, South, and Western Asia with the Mediterranean and European world, as well as parts of North and East Africa...

. He has been the creative adviser to Anouska Hempel

Anouska Hempel

Anouska Hempel, Lady Weinberg , born Anne Geissler, is a film and television actress turned hotelier and designer. She is also a noted figure in London society.-Personal life:...

since 2010.

Designs

Phu is known for his tall buildings and cultural buildings designs. Amongst his design works are:

the controversial Okhta Centre (including the 403-meter high tower and concert hall) in St Petersburg, Russia, for which he was the Chief Design Architect
Saint Petersburg Modern Art Museum and Opera House
China World Trade Center Tower III (330m) in Beijing
Beijing Financial Street
Beijing Financial Street
Beijing Financial Street, or BFS , is a 35 block area which offers a collaborative environment for foreign and domestic financial institutions and Chinese regulatory agencies. It is part of the city's strategic plan to position Beijing as a domestic center for business and finance...
Gulf Coast Museum of Art
Gulf Coast Museum of Art
The Gulf Coast Museum of Art was located at 12211 Walsingham Road, Largo, Florida. It housed contemporary Florida art in the permanent collection....

, Florida, USA

Okhta Centre

In 2010 it was reported by Russian and UK press that Charles Phu said at a public debate in London that the architect has been getting regular memoranda from Vladimir Putin

Vladimir Putin

Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin served as the second President of the Russian Federation and is the current Prime Minister of Russia, as well as chairman of United Russia and Chairman of the Council of Ministers of the Union of Russia and Belarus. He became acting President on 31 December 1999, when...

, encouraging them to go ahead with the project of Okhta Centre and promising support from the government. This resulted in widespread press coverage and heated public discussions but was proved to be untrue according to Putin, Phu himself and the participants.

Opera set design

After designing opera productions in Asia and North America, Phu made his UK debut as an opera designer with Sonya's Story
Sonya's Story
Sonya's Story is an opera by the British composer Neal Thornton to a libretto based on the original Russian text of Anton Chekhov's play Uncle Vanya. The libretto reproduces passages from Uncle Vanya in English translation with additional spoken text by Neal Thornton...

, which premiered in London on 7 August 2010. The critic from The Independent
The Independent
The Independent is a British national morning newspaper published in London by Independent Print Limited, owned by Alexander Lebedev since 2010. It is nicknamed the Indy, while the Sunday edition, The Independent on Sunday, is the Sindy. Launched in 1986, it is one of the youngest UK national daily...

described Phu's sets and lighting for the premiere production as "elegant".

Designs

Okhta Centre

Opera set design

Further reading