Dear Mr. Di,

On behalf of The Cultural Landscape Foundation (TCLF), please let me extend our deepest condolences to you following the death of Kongjian. Ann Spirn provided us with your contact information.

Because TCLF is home to the Cornelia Hahn Oberlander International Landscape Architecture Prize, which Kongjian won in 2023, we were fortunate to spend parts of the last two years in regular contact with him. For that we will be forever grateful.

Kongjian and his “sponge cities” concept is the inspiration for a conference called Soak It Up: Los Angeles, CA, on December 5, 2025, and Kongjian was one of the featured speakers scheduled. Another scheduled speaker is Kongjian’s friend Mario Schjetnan in Mexico City; yesterday Mario was announced as the newest winner of the Oberlander Prize.

At the conference on Dec. 5, historian and author John Beardsley, the first Oberlander Prize Curator, will speak about Kongjian’s life, ideas, and remarkable legacy.

Charles A. Birnbaum, TCLF’s President & CEO, wanted me to let you know that if you’re in Los Angeles in December he hopes you would attend the conference as his guest. The event will be a celebration of one extraordinary person who managed to change the world and inspired so many.

Again, please accept our sympathies.

Sincerely,

Nord Wennerstrom

译文：

尊敬的迪先生：

我谨代表文化景观基金会（The Cultural Landscape Foundation, TCLF），对孔坚的逝世致以最深切的哀悼。Ann Spirn向我们提供了您的联系方式。

由于TCLF是科妮莉亚·哈恩·奥伯兰德国际景观设计奖（Cornelia Hahn Oberlander International Landscape Architecture Prize）的主办方，而孔坚于2023年荣获该奖项，我们有幸在过去两年中与他保持定期联系。对此，我们将永远心怀感激。

孔坚及其提出的“海绵城市”理念，是2025年12月5日于洛杉矶举办的“Soak It Up: Los Angeles, CA”会议的灵感来源。孔坚原定作为特邀演讲嘉宾出席，另一位 scheduled speaker 是他在墨西哥城的朋Mario Schjetnan——昨日，Mario Schjetnan刚被宣布为奥伯兰德奖的最新得主。

在12月5日的会议上，首届奥伯兰德奖策展人、历史学家兼作家John Beardsley将讲述孔坚的生平、思想及其卓越遗产。

TCLF总裁兼首席执行官Charles A. Birnbaum希望我转达：若您12月身在洛杉矶，他诚邀您作为他的嘉宾参会。这场活动将致敬这位改变世界并激励无数人的非凡人物。

再次请您接受我们的慰问。

此致

敬礼

诺德·温纳斯特罗姆