What C.Y.Lee & Partners does

C.Y. Lee & Partners (李祖原聯合建築師事務所) is a Taipei-headquartered private architectural firm founded in 1978 by C.Y. Lee, a Princeton-trained architect. It provides comprehensive architectural design, master planning, and construction supervision (施工監造) services targeting enterprise clients — major real estate developers, government and transit authorities, universities, and religious/cultural organizations — across Greater China and select international markets. Named clients include TAIPEI Financial Center Corporation, Farglory Land Development, Taiwan Life Insurance, Chunghwa Telecom, Shin Kong Life, Far Eastern Group, Radium Land Development, Chung Tai Cultural Educational Foundation, Academia Sinica, and National Chung Cheng University.

The firm's core offering is differentiated by an internally developed design philosophy: 'Life Architecture' (生命建築) and 'Oneness Theory' (整體論), which integrate Eastern cultural symbolism — pagoda stacking, dragon and phoenix motifs, courtyard geometries — with Western structural engineering and super-tall building technology. Project execution spans the full design lifecycle — site analysis, conceptual design, construction documentation, and supervision — for landmark, super high-rise, mixed-use, hospitality, institutional, religious, and transit-oriented developments. Signature outputs include the 508-meter Taipei 101 (completed 2004; eight-floor stacking units inspired by Chinese pagoda form), the 264.6-meter Farglory THE ONE in Kaohsiung (completed 2020), Chung Tai Zen Monastery in Puli (2002 Taiwan Architecture Award), the 148-meter Namaste Dagoba at Shanxi Famen Temple, and institutional buildings for Academia Sinica and National Chung Cheng University. In 2003 the firm established a sister practice, Oneness & Associates Architects/Planners (原大聯合建築師事務所), co-directed by four principals, to extend the core philosophy into innovative future-living design.

The business model is fee-based professional services with per-project pricing negotiated on scope and complexity; no public pricing or revenue disclosure exists. Go-to-market combines direct enterprise engagement and relationship-led repeat business with major developers alongside competitive bidding in domestic and international architectural design competitions. The firm operates an explicit regional footprint across Taiwan, Mainland China, Japan, Italy, the Philippines, Thailand, and Vietnam, with associated entities including Dayuan Architectural Design Consulting (Shanghai). Customer concentration is at the project level rather than the volumetric SMB tail: each engagement is a discrete, large-scale enterprise contract, with repeat clients (Farglory, Taiwan Life, Chunghwa, Far Eastern) representing meaningful multi-project relationships.

Name

C.Y.Lee & Partners

Legal name

C.Y. LEE & PARTNERS ARCHITECTS / PLANNERS

Website

https://cylee.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1978

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

C.Y. Lee & Partners is a Taipei-based private architectural firm founded in 1978, designing landmark, super high-rise, mixed-use, and culturally resonant buildings for enterprise developers, governments, and institutions across Asia. It is distinguished by its proprietary Life Architecture and Oneness Theory design philosophies.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Architectural Services

NAICS

Architectural Services (541310)

SIC

Services-Engineering Services (8711)

akta.pro primary industry

Architectural Design Services (BPAHAKAA)

akta.pro secondary industry

Sustainable/Green Building & LEED Consulting (BPAHAKAG)

Keywords

• Architectural design services
• Urban planning
• Landmark architecture
• Super high-rise design
• Master planning

Headquarters

HQ city

Taipei

HQ country

Taiwan

HQ region

Asia

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Architectural Design Services: Professional architectural design and planning services for landmark buildings, urban planning developments, and institutional projects. Services include master planning, architectural design, and construction supervision (施工監造).

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

C.Y. Lee & Partners is an international architectural firm providing comprehensive architectural design and master planning services for landmark buildings, super high-rise towers, mixed-use complexes, hotels, residences, educational facilities, religious sites, and urban districts. Services span site analysis, conceptual design, design development, construction documentation, and construction supervision (施工監造), grounded in the firm's proprietary "Life Architecture" philosophy that integrates Eastern cultural symbolism with Western engineering technology.

Product overview

C.Y. Lee & Partners (李祖原聯合建築師事務所) is an international architectural firm founded in 1978 by C.Y. Lee, providing comprehensive architectural planning and design services. The firm specializes in landmark buildings, super high-rise structures, mixed-use complexes, cultural and educational facilities, hotels, and residential projects. The core offering centers on architectural design and construction supervision services, complemented by urban planning capabilities. A subsidiary, Oneness & Associates Architects/Planners (原大聯合建築師事務所), extends the firm's philosophy of innovative future living design. The firm's distinctive approach integrates Eastern cultural philosophy with Western technology, emphasizing 'Life Architecture' concepts that harmonize space, nature, and human life.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Architectural Design Services Comprehensive architectural planning and design services spanning site analysis, conceptual design, design development, construction documentation, and construction supervision (施工監造), delivered for landmark buildings, super high-rise towers, mixed-use complexes, hotels, residences, and cultural facilities.
• Urban Planning & Master Planning Large-scale urban design and master planning services for new districts, economic zones, transportation hubs, and civic spaces, integrating Eastern philosophical principles with modern urban development concepts.

Quantifiable outcome

• Taipei 101 achieved 2019-CTBUH Global 50 Most Influential High-rise Buildings recognition and 2016-CTBUH Best Efficiency Award for Tall Buildings
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers12 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Chunghwa Telecom/ Light Age Construction (中華電信光世代建設)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2021Collaboration for smart home 5A residential development in Taoyuan Qingpu area. Integration of Chunghwa Telecom's smart home technology with architectural design.
• Japan Taiwan Statistics (日勝生)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2020Partner for Taichung Metro Green Line G6 and G8a station joint development projects, won as best applicant in October 2020.
• CDX Development (冠德建設)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2020Partner for New Taipei Circular Line Xi Lang Bridge Station joint development project. 20-story, 13,700 ping commercial building scheduled for 2025 completion.
• Farglory Land Development Corporation (遠雄建設)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2013Long-standing strategic partner for major developments. Key projects include Farglory THE ONE (68-story, 264.6m mixed-use tower completed 2020), Taichung Yo Ji Housing, and multiple other residential and commercial projects across Taiwan.
• Mitsui Real Estate (三井不動產)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMitsui Shopping Park LaLaport Nangang to open March 2025. The C3 mixed-use development in Nangang Software Park features Taiwan's first regional shopping center, with MRT connectivity.
• InterContinental Hotels Group (洲際酒店集團)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerInterContinental Kaohsiung hotel occupies floors 1-16 of Farglory THE ONE, the tallest premium residential building in Taiwan.
• Taiwan Life Insurance (台灣人壽)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMain business unit for Nangang C3 development project, a major mixed-use complex in Taipei Nangang Software Park.
• Goodwell Development (良勳建設)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoint development of Farglory Beifu Garden residential project in Tainan's Zhengziluo district, achieving full universal accessibility certification.
• TCC Group (遠雄集团)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMultiple ongoing projects with Farglory and other TCC Group companies for residential, commercial, and office developments.
• I-Jin Construction (宜進紡織)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoint development of Nangang I-CITY technology office building project with Farglory, groundbreaking 2020, completion 2023.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Kohn Pedersen Fox (KPF): Global architecture firm specializing in supertall towers and large-scale mixed-use developments, with deep Asian project presence (including Shanghai and other Chinese cities). Both C.Y. Lee and KPF compete for the same iconic high-rise commissions in Asia and share a focus on culturally distinctive skyscraper design.
• Foster + Partners: British firm known for landmark cultural and commercial buildings globally, including work in Asia (e.g., Hong Kong and Shanghai). Both firms compete for iconic institutional and commercial commissions where brand prestige and design distinctiveness drive selection.
• Nikken Sekkei: Japan's largest architecture firm with extensive work across Asia, including supertall, mixed-use, and transit-oriented developments. Comparable scale and similar specialty in integrating cultural context with modern construction techniques across the Asian market.
• Zaha Hadid Architects: Global firm known for iconic cultural and commercial buildings with signature formal language. Both firms compete for culturally significant landmark commissions globally, with overlapping client base among developers seeking statement architecture.
• Skidmore, Owings & Merrill (SOM): Architectural and engineering firm renowned for supertall skyscrapers (Burj Khalifa, One World Trade Center) and large-scale urban master planning. SOM directly competes with C.Y. Lee for tall-building commissions in Asia and shares the same supertall specialty.
• Pelli Clarke & Partners: Architecture firm founded by Cesar Pelli, known for supertall towers (Petronas Towers, Taipei Sky Tower) with strong Asia presence. Direct competitor for tall-building commissions in Taiwan and broader Asian markets, with similar scale and iconic-project profile.

Broad incumbents

• Gensler: Largest global architecture firm by revenue, offering commercial interior, mixed-use, and master planning services. While broader in portfolio, Gensler overlaps with C.Y. Lee on commercial, hospitality, and large-scale urban planning commissions across Asia.
• AECOM: Global infrastructure and architecture firm with major Asia presence covering master planning, urban design, and large-scale developments. Overlaps with C.Y. Lee on transit-oriented developments, urban planning, and large mixed-use projects.

Emerging players

• Heatherwick Studio: London-based design studio known for landmark cultural and public architecture worldwide. Comparable profile of signature-driven commissions where design identity drives selection, though smaller scale and broader design remit beyond pure architecture.
• MAD Architects: Beijing-based firm founded by Ma Yansong, specializing in iconic cultural and sculptural buildings that integrate Eastern landscape philosophy with contemporary form. Comparable niche in symbolic, culturally-rooted architecture, though at smaller scale and younger age.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/cyl_architects
• Facebookfacebook.com/cyleearchitects

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about C.Y.Lee & Partners