Clement Chen Jr.

Clement Chen Jr. (1929–1988) was a Chinese-born American architect, and businessperson. He is known for his contributions to the design of a number of significant buildings in the San Francisco Bay Area many in the Brutalist architecture style. He was involved in designing a wide range of buildings, including libraries, schools, fire stations, hotels, and supermarkets. Chen Jr. worked for several prominent architectural firms before starting a joint practice Nobler and Chen, Architects from 1961 to 1962; followed by his own practice, Chen & Associates, Architects. He also owned a series of hotels in California and New York state.

Clement Chen Jr.
Born	July 27, 1929 Shanghai, China
Died	February 19, 1988 Hillsborough, San Mateo County, California, U.S.
Other names	Clement Chen, Clement Y.T. Chen, Jr.
Education	Sewanee: The University of the South
Alma mater	Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
Occupation(s)	Architect, businessperson
Notable work	San Francisco Chinatown Hilton Hotel (1968)
Style	Brutalist, modernist
Spouse	June Wong

Clement Chen, Jr., Miss Chinatown 1967, Marilyn Lew, and San Francisco Mayor Joseph L. Alioto with a model of the Holiday Inn - Financial District, home of the Chinese Culture Center

Early life and early career

Clement Chen Jr. was born on July 27, 1929, in Shanghai, China.^[1][2] He immigrated to the United States in May 1949, during the Chinese Communist Revolution and after the Shanghai Campaign.^[3][4][5][6] He only knew one person in the United States, who later became his wife June.^[4][5]

He had a scholarship to attend Sewanee: The University of the South in Tennessee.^[6] He finished his education at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in Troy New York, where he graduated in 1953.^[3][5]

After completing his studies, Chen Jr. worked for a number of architectural firms in the San Francisco Bay Area. In the 1950s, he worked for the firms of George Rockrise^[7][8] and William Wurster,^[9][10] both of which were well-known and respected architectural practices.

Chinatown Hilton

Architectural practice

Chen Jr. founded his own architectural practice in Redwood City and later San Francisco, which was he led from 1961 until 1988.^{[6][2][11][12]} The firm was involved in designing a number of significant public and private buildings in the Bay Area, and became known for its innovative and thoughtful approach to design. He was one of the architects for the San Francisco Redevelopment Agency's Diamond Heights Housing Project (the project ran from 1948 until 1978) in the neighborhood of Diamond Heights.^[2]

After the completion of the San Francisco Chinatown Hilton Hotel in 1968, Chen Jr. designed a series of buildings for Holiday Inn.^[5] He also built his own hotels in Palo Alto, San Francisco, Pasadena, Laguna Hills, and Buffalo, New York.^[5]

He was the first American architect to participate in a joint international venture in China, with the 1982 Jianguo Hotel in Beijing.^[13]

Chen Jr. was married and had three children. His wife, June Wong worked in the family firm. He lived in San Carlos, California for many years.^[14]

Notable projects

SFFD Station 26 (Diamond Heights) in Brutalist architectural style displaying board formed concrete structure

Chen Jr. was involved in designing a wide range of buildings throughout his career. Some of his notable projects include the San Francisco Fire Station No. 26,^[9] the San Francisco Chinatown & Fisherman's Warf Holiday Inn (now Hilton) Hotels,^[15][10][16] the San Francisco Chinatown Branch Library, the Chinese American International School, the Hong Kong Supermarket, the Oceanview Branch Library, and the Central YMCA of San Francisco.

• Redwood City Warehouse (1960), Redwood City, California^[2]
• San Francisco Fire Station No. 26 (1961)
• San Francisco Chinatown Hilton Hotel (1968)
• Chinese American International School (1970)
• SF Holiday Inn at Fisherman’s Wharf (1970)
• Hong Kong Supermarket (1973)
• Oceanview Branch Library (1979)
• Central YMCA of San Francisco (1980)
• Jianguo Hotel, Beijing, China (1982)^[13]

Accomplishments and awards

Chen Jr. was widely respected within the architecture community for his contributions to the field. He was a member of the American Institute of Architects (AIA) from 1961 to 1974; and served as the president of the San Francisco chapter from 1976 to 1977.^[17] In 1989, he received the AIA San Francisco Chapter's highest honor, the Lifetime Achievement Award as well as HUD's Honor Award for Architectural Excellence, for projects in San Francisco's Diamond Heights.^[18][19]

Death and legacy

He died on February 19, 1988, in Hillsborough, California.^[12] After Chen Jr.'s death, the firm continued under the leadership of his daughter, Barbra, and son Clement Chen III, who are also architects and continues to practice in the San Francisco Bay Area.^[16]