Kongjian Yu, the 62-year-old Chinese landscape architect renowned for pioneering the “sponge city” concept, tragically died in a plane crash in Brazil’s Pantanal wetlands on Tuesday.
The single-engine Cessna aircraft, a four-seater, went down in Mato Grosso do Sul state, near Brazil’s western border with Paraguay and Bolivia, while Yu and his companions were en route to a riverside ranch for a filming project.
Three others also lost their lives: Brazilian filmmakers Luiz Ferraz and Rubens Crispim Junior, who were documenting Yu’s work, and Marcelo Pereira de Barros, a well-known local pilot.
Yu’s work transformed urban landscapes in China and beyond, offering innovative solutions to climate-related flooding and water management challenges.
The documentary the team was filming, titled Planeta Esponja (Planet Sponge), aimed to capture Yu’s philosophy of integrating traditional Chinese water management techniques into modern urban environments.
The “sponge city” concept encourages cities to retain, absorb, and reuse rainwater, helping urban areas withstand extreme weather and flooding. Yu often emphasized the importance of harmony with natural water systems, famously stating, “it’s important to make friends with water.”
The crash occurred as the pilot attempted to abort a landing at Fazenda Barra Mansa, a famed riverside hacienda that has been a filming location for the Brazilian television giant Globo.
Local authorities reported that the aircraft lost altitude and exploded on impact. Police chief Ana Cláudia Medina confirmed the deaths and dispatched officers to the remote site to investigate the circumstances surrounding the accident.
The Pantanal wetlands, where the crash took place, are the world’s largest tropical wetland and a hotspot of biodiversity. Straddling the borders of Brazil, Bolivia, and Paraguay, the region hosts species such as jaguars, giant anteaters, and hyacinth macaws, making it both ecologically significant and a popular tourist destination. Yu’s visit to the area highlighted his growing interest in global ecological systems and their intersections with human development.
Yu’s firm, Turenscape, has worked on hundreds of urban projects across China, often converting degraded landscapes into functional ecosystems.
One notable project on the outskirts of Beijing involved creating holes along riverbanks to slow water flow and establish natural filtration pools. These interventions not only mitigate flood risks but also enhance urban biodiversity and public green spaces.
Turenscape’s work has been internationally recognized, including recent awards from the American Association of Landscape Architects for projects such as a 126-acre “floating forest” wetland in Jiangxi province, which revitalized degraded Yangtze River floodplains while managing stormwater.
In recent years, Chinese cities have faced increasingly severe flooding and extreme rainfall, underscoring the urgency of climate-resilient urban planning. Yu’s approach, blending traditional Chinese water management methods with modern engineering, offered a blueprint for cities worldwide to adapt to climate change.
His philosophy inspired policymakers and urban planners to rethink the role of water in city design, emphasizing absorption, retention, and ecological integration rather than conventional drainage and flood control methods.
Yu had recently traveled to Brazil to participate in a conference celebrating the 65th anniversary of Brasília, the country’s futuristic capital designed by Oscar Niemeyer and urban planner Lúcio Costa. At the Council of Architecture and Urbanism of Brazil’s event, Yu spoke passionately about the need for urban centers to embrace water rather than fight it.
“Cities must retain water, slow down water, embrace water,” he said in an interview at the conference. The council’s president, Patrícia Sarquis Herden, described his presence as “crucial” for reflecting on innovative urban sustainability solutions, particularly for Brazilian cities facing climate challenges.
News of Yu’s death sent shockwaves through the global architecture and climate adaptation community. On Chinese social media, fans and colleagues expressed disbelief and grief.
One Weibo user wrote, “how could Professor Yu Kongjian leave us so suddenly?” His innovative work, which fused ancient Chinese wisdom with contemporary urban challenges, has left a lasting impact on cities struggling with flood management and ecological resilience.
The loss of Yu is compounded by the deaths of his companions, Ferraz and Crispim Junior, whose documentary sought to immortalize the architect’s groundbreaking work.
Planeta Esponja was intended to illustrate the practical applications of the sponge city philosophy, showing how urban areas can coexist with natural water cycles. Marcelo Pereira de Barros, the pilot, was also a respected figure in local aviation circles, and his death represents a significant loss to the Pantanal community.
Beyond his immediate projects, Yu’s legacy includes shaping a generation of landscape architects who see environmental stewardship as integral to urban design.
He championed projects that created multifunctional landscapes—spaces that manage water, restore ecosystems, and serve the public simultaneously. His principles emphasized resilience, sustainability, and adaptability, particularly in regions vulnerable to climate extremes.
Yu’s death underscores the ongoing global challenges posed by climate change and the importance of visionary solutions. As cities continue to expand and face unpredictable weather patterns, his work serves as a reminder that integrating ecological principles into urban planning is not just innovative but essential for human survival.
His passing in the Pantanal, a region that epitomizes the delicate balance between humans and nature, is a poignant reflection of his life’s mission to harmonize urban development with the natural world.
The Brazilian authorities are continuing their investigation into the crash, while colleagues and admirers worldwide reflect on Yu’s transformative influence. His projects across China, and his advocacy for cities that act like sponges, remain a model for tackling water-related challenges in an era of climate uncertainty.
As Turenscape’s work continues, the principles Yu championed—resilience, harmony with nature, and innovative urban water management—will continue to inspire architects, planners, and environmentalists globally.
Kongjian Yu’s death is not only a tragic loss to his immediate collaborators but also to the international community of architects, urban planners, and environmentalists who have looked to his work as a beacon of sustainable innovation.
His philosophy that cities can coexist with water rather than be overwhelmed by it will continue to shape the future of climate-resilient urban design.
