Hendrik TIEBEN is an architect and Professor at the School of Architecture of The Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK). In his work as educator, scholar, and designer he focuses on the creation of more sustainable and inclusive cities. At CUHK, Prof. Tieben founded therefore the MSc in Urban Design programme and co-founded the BSSc in Urban Studies programme. From 2021 to2024, he served as the Director of the School of Architecture, and currently is the Associate Director of the School and the Associate Director of the BSSc in Urban Studies Programme. Prof. Tieben’s teaching at CUHK ranges from bachelor to PhD level, and focuses on urban design, history, and theory.
Over the last two decades, Hendrik Tieben developed a series of placemaking and community projects, involving a wide range of stakeholders and students. His design and research projects have been published in international journals and presented at different Biennale exhibitions. In 2023, he co-curated the exhibition “Transformative Hong Kong”, as Hong Kong’s contribution for the Venice Architecture Biennale.
As part of his engagement with urban design and research, Prof. Hendrik Tieben contributes to different international collaborations and networks. For instance, in 2024, he organised with Prof. Murray Frazer (UCL) and Prof. Andong Lu (Nanjing University) the CEADER Conference “Design Research Expanded”. In the same year, he also organised with Prof. Ian Morley (CUHK) the 20th Biennial Conference of the International Planning History Society, both at CUHK.
Hendrik Tieben also serves currently as Chairman of the Scientific Board of the International Forum on Urbanism (IFoU), a network of 25 Asian, European, and South American universities. For the network, he coordinated the IFoU Conferences in 2017 and 2024, and the IFoU Winter Schools in 2013 and 2025 in Hong Kong.
Prof. Tieben is also a Council Board Member of City Space Architecture (CSA), an NGO which, among others, publishes the Journal of Public Space. With Luisa Bravo, founder of CSA and the Journal, he organised the project “2020: A Year without Public Space under the COVID19 Pandemic” in which 100+ speakers in weekly webinars exchanged their experiences with the spreading health crisis.
Currently, Prof. Tieben collaborates with the Global Public Space Programme of UN Habitat, on studying relationships between public spaces and facilities, and explores their potential to create better integrated housing developments.
As part of his international engagement, Prof. Tieben has been a visiting scholar at University of Auckland, Technical University of Berlin, Chang’An University and currently at University of Lisbon.
Hendrik Tieben received his architectural education in Germany, Italy and Switzerland and holds a doctoral degree from ETH Zurich. He is a registered architect in Germany (AKNW) a founding member of the Hong Kong Institute of Urban Design, as well as an AIA Hong Kong International Associate Member.
