Architect's cycling journey spins his intellectual wheel

Bouman at the Huaihe River near Huainan, Anhui province. In addition to taking long daily walks and two-hour cycling trips to maintain his physical condition, Bouman points out that the most important preparation was to think of a "narrative" or "story "that would continuously motivate him to the finish line. As a cultural historian, I would like to know more about the relationship and interconnection between the East and the West, so curiosity is my motivation," says Bouman. Bouman has lived in China for around 10 years since he served as the creative director of the Urbanism and Architecture Bi-City Biennale of Shenzhen and Hong Kong in 2013. Before his teaching role at Tongji University, Bouman was the founding director of the Design Society, an initiative of China Merchants Group and the Victoria and Albert Museum, which opened in Shenzhen, Guangdong province, in December 2017.