Contemporary Japanese Architecture

Japan's contemporary architecture has long been among the most inventive in the world, recognized for sustainability and infinite creativity. No fewer than eight Japanese architects have won the Pritzker Prize . Since Osaka World Expo ’70 highlighted contemporary forms, Japan has been a key player in global architecture . Tadao Ando's geometry put Japanese building on the map, bridging East and West. After his concrete buildings, figures like Kengo Kuma, Shigeru Ban, and Kazuyo Sejima pioneered a more sustainable approach. Younger generations have taken new directions, in harmony with nature, traditional building, and an endless search for forms. Presenting the latest in Japanese building, this book links this unique creativity to Japan's high population density, modern economy, long history, and continual disasters in the form of earthquakes. Accepting ambiguity, constant change, and catastrophe is a key to understanding how Japanese architecture differs from that of Europe or America. This compact edition highlights 37 architects and 53 exceptional projects by Japanese masters—from Tadao Ando ’s Shanghai Poly Theater, Shigeru Ban ’s concert hall La Seine Musical, SANAA ’s Grace Farms, Fumihiko Maki ’s 4 World Trade Center to Takashi Suo ’s much smaller sustainable dental clinic. An elaborate essay traces the building scene from the Metabolists to today, showing how the interaction of past, present, and future has earned contemporary Japanese architecture worldwide recognition.

Japan's contemporary architecture has long been among the most inventive in the world, recognized for sustainability and infinite creativity. No fewer than eight Japanese architects have won the Pritzker Prize . Since Osaka World Expo ’70 highlighted contemporary forms, Japan has been a key player in global architecture . Tadao Ando's geometry put Japanese building on the map, bridging East and West. After his concrete buildings, figures like Kengo Kuma, Shigeru Ban, and Kazuyo Sejima pioneered a more sustainable approach. Younger generations have taken new directions, in harmony with nature, traditional building, and an endless search for forms. Presenting the latest in Japanese building, this book links this unique creativity to Japan's high population density, modern economy, long history, and continual disasters in the form of earthquakes. Accepting ambiguity, constant change, and catastrophe is a key to understanding how Japanese architecture differs from that of Europe or America. This compact edition highlights 37 architects and 53 exceptional projects by Japanese masters—from Tadao Ando ’s Shanghai Poly Theater, Shigeru Ban ’s concert hall La Seine Musical, SANAA ’s Grace Farms, Fumihiko Maki ’s 4 World Trade Center to Takashi Suo ’s much smaller sustainable dental clinic. An elaborate essay traces the building scene from the Metabolists to today, showing how the interaction of past, present, and future has earned contemporary Japanese architecture worldwide recognition.

The contemporary architecture of Japan has long been among the most inventive in the world, recognized for sustainability and infinite creativity. No fewer than seven Japanese architects have won the Pritzker Prize . Since Osaka World Expo ’70 brought contemporary forms center stage, Japan has been a key player in global architecture . With his intentionally limited vocabulary of geometric forms, Tadao Ando has since then put Japanese building on the world’s cultural map, establishing a bridge between East and West. In the wake of Ando’s mostly concrete buildings, figures like Kengo Kuma (Japan National Stadium intended for the Olympic Games), Shigeru Ban (Mount Fuji World Heritage Center), and Kazuyo Sejima (Kanazawa Museum of 21st Century Art of Contemporary Art) pioneered a more sustainable approach. Younger generations have successfully developed new directions in Japanese architecture that are in harmony with nature and connected to traditional building. Rather than planning on the drawing board, the architects presented in this collection stand out for their endless search for forms, truly reacting on their environment . Presenting the latest in Japanese building , this book reveals how this unique creativity is a fruit of Japan’s very particular situation that includes high population density, a modern, efficient economy, a long history, and the continual risk of disasters in the form of earthquakes. Accepting ambiguity, as seen in the evanescent reflections of Sejima’s Kanazawa Museum, or constant change and the threat of catastrophe is a key to understanding what makes Japanese architecture different from that of Europe or America. This XL-sized book highlights 39 architects and 55 exceptional projects by Japanese masters—from Tadao Ando ’s Shanghai Poly Theater, Shigeru Ban ’s concert hall La Seine Musical, SANAA ’S Grace Farms, Fumihiko Maki ’s 4 World Trade Center, to Takashi Suo ’s much smaller sustainable dental clinic. Each project is introduced with photos , original floor plans and technical drawings , as well as insightful descriptions and brief biographies . An elaborate essay traces the country’s building scene from the Metabolists to today and shows how the interaction of past, present, and future has earned contemporary Japanese architecture worldwide recognition.

The contemporary architecture of Japan has long been among the most inventive in the world, recognized for sustainability and infinite creativity. No fewer than seven Japanese architects have won the Pritzker Prize . Since Osaka World Expo ’70 brought contemporary forms center stage, Japan has been a key player in global architecture . With his intentionally limited vocabulary of geometric forms, Tadao Ando has since then put Japanese building on the world’s cultural map, establishing a bridge between East and West. In the wake of Ando’s mostly concrete buildings, figures like Kengo Kuma (Japan National Stadium intended for the Olympic Games), Shigeru Ban (Mount Fuji World Heritage Center), and Kazuyo Sejima (Kanazawa Museum of 21st Century Art of Contemporary Art) pioneered a more sustainable approach. Younger generations have successfully developed new directions in Japanese architecture that are in harmony with nature and connected to traditional building. Rather than planning on the drawing board, the architects presented in this collection stand out for their endless search for forms, truly reacting on their environment . Presenting the latest in Japanese building , this book reveals how this unique creativity is a fruit of Japan’s very particular situation that includes high population density, a modern, efficient economy, a long history, and the continual risk of disasters in the form of earthquakes. Accepting ambiguity, as seen in the evanescent reflections of Sejima’s Kanazawa Museum, or constant change and the threat of catastrophe is a key to understanding what makes Japanese architecture different from that of Europe or America. This XL-sized book highlights 39 architects and 55 exceptional projects by Japanese masters—from Tadao Ando ’s Shanghai Poly Theater, Shigeru Ban ’s concert hall La Seine Musical, SANAA ’S Grace Farms, Fumihiko Maki ’s 4 World Trade Center, to Takashi Suo ’s much smaller sustainable dental clinic. Each project is introduced with photos , original floor plans and technical drawings , as well as insightful descriptions and brief biographies . An elaborate essay traces the country’s building scene from the Metabolists to today and shows how the interaction of past, present, and future has earned contemporary Japanese architecture worldwide recognition.