/ˈziːwʌɪ ˈsəʊ/

Tszwai So is a London-based architect, artist, author, educator and filmmaker. He is a strong proponent of Emotional Architecture – focusing on the emotional aspect of Architecture. His Belarusian Memorial Chapel in London, completed in 2017, is a widely recognised cultural icon by Belarusians worldwide. He won a European Parliament-backed international competition in 2018 to create the Pan-European memorial for all victims of totalitarianism in Brussels.

In 2019, he followed in the footsteps of the great artists before him such as Henry Moore and Richard Deacon, as he was honoured by Wolfson College, University of Cambridge, with a solo exhibition of his oeuvre. It was introduced by a conversation in front of an invited audience between So and Hugh Pearman MBE.

His film E-motion-AI City premiered at the 2021 Venice Biennale, and his drawings are held in the art collections of the V&A Museum and Yad Vashem. In 2023, Lund Humphries published Remembrance Now – 21st century memorial architecture co-authored by Michele Woodger and Tszwai So. In 2024, his first art/architecture commission in Asia, The Blue by Just Inn in Taipei was completed and opened with glowing coverage in notable media internationally.

Tszwai’s drawings/prints are in private collections, as well as the permanent collections of RIBA/V&A and Vad Yashem.

As an educator, he teaches at the University of Cambridge. Tszwai is also a critic for influential industry publications such as the RIBA Journal, and a former committee member of the Foundation for Jewish Heritage. He has served on the juries of a number of prestigious award programmes, such as the RIBA awards, RIBA Eye Line Award, World Architecture Festival and AJ100 Building of the Year award. Tszwai also sits on the Harrow Council Design Review Panel. Outside of work he enjoys hiking, reading and drawing.

Tszwai So in conversation with Hugh Pearman MBE at Wolfson College, University of Cambridge on Vimeo.

Emotional Architecture – Tszwai So from Wolfson College, Cambridge on Vimeo.

Tszwai explaining the gestation of the Belarusian Memorial Chapel for Open House on youtube.