Christine Choi and Jimmy Wardhana, the co-founders and principal architects of the Macao-based practice JWCC Architecture, were each honoured with a 40 Under 40 award during the Perspective magazine gala dinner in Hong Kong last month.
The awards recognise young talent in the fields of architecture, interior design, product design and art and are awarded by Perspective, which dubs itself “Asia Pacific’s leading digital platform for the architecture and interior design community.”
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Speaking to Macao News about the award, Wardhana, who is of Chinese-Indonesian descent, said that he felt “deeply honoured” by the prize, which “serves as a significant acknowledgement of our commitment to excellence within the professional community.”
Choi, who was born in Macao and grew up in Australia, expressed the same sentiments, noting that her award “stands as a significant milestone of our continuous effort and dedication for the last 15 years of our journey in architecture.”
Previous winners of 40 Under 40 awards include renowned architects and interior designers such as André Fu, Barrie Ho and Joyce Wang.
Since its founding in 2010, JWCC Architecture has helped to design various projects in Macao such as The Studio, One Guia Hill and the upcoming flyover project in the Areia Preta district.
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“Macao boasts a fascinating architectural typology deeply rooted in its rich cultural heritage,” Wardhana and Choi point out. “This unique blend of historical and modern, set within a spontaneously evolved urban cluster, presents an excellent opportunity to enhance and solidify a distinct sense of place.”
The two architects, however, emphasise that with their Macao projects, their intent is not simply to shine a light on the SAR’s cultural heritage, as they also hope to “foster connections and storytelling that enrich the human experience.”
