Shigeru Ban
Born in Tokyo in 1957, Ban graduated from the Cooper Union with a Bachelor of Architecture in 1984. He founded Shigeru Ban Architects in 1985 and later established offices in New York and Paris. Since 1985, Ban has developed a unique structural system using recycled paper as a building material and, alongside his architectural work, has been engaged in disaster relief efforts worldwide. In 1995, he founded a nonprofit organisation named Voluntary Architects’ Network (VAN). He is the recipient of le grade de commandeur of L’Ordre des Arts et des Lettres, France (2014), the Pritzker Architecture Prize (2014).
Mt. Fuji World Heritage Centre, Fujinomiya-shi, Shizuoka
Tadao Ando
Born in Osaka in 1941, Tadao Ando is a self-taught architect who established Tadao Ando Architect & Associates in 1969. Since starting his architectural career as an “urban guerrilla,” nhe has consistently pursued architecture that breaks conventional boundaries. Since the 1990s, his work has gained international recognition, and he has also been involved in social activities such as environmental regeneration and disaster recovery. He has received numerous awards, including Annual Prize, Architectural Institute of Japan “Row House, Sumiyoshi” (1979), Japan Art Academy Prize (1993), The Pritzker Architecture Prize (1995), Union Internationale des Architectes Gold Medal (2005), Japanese Order of Culture (2010) , and Commandeur de la L.gion dʼHonneur, France (2021).
Church of the Light, Ibaraki-shi, Osaka
Hyogo Prefectural Museum of Art, Kobe-shi, Hyogo
Kohei Nawa
Sculptor / Director of SANDWICH Inc. / Professor at Kyoto University of the Arts Born in 1975 and based in Kyoto, Japan, Kohei Nawa received a PhD in Fine Arts/ Sculpture from Kyoto City University of Arts in 2003 and established SANDWICH in 2009. Focusing on the surface “skin” of sculpture as an interface connecting to the senses, Nawa began his PixCell series in 2002 based on the concept of the cell, symbolising the information age.
SANDWICH Inc.
SANDWICH Inc. is an old sandwich factory near the Uji River in Kyoto, which was renovated to become a creative platform of various disciplines. In addition to the studio, office, and multidisciplinary spaces, there are kitchen and accommodation facilities where artists, such as Kohei Nawa, designers and architects, and dancers meet and collaborate on exciting projects. At the residence space, young creators from Japan and overseas stay and work on stimulating projects every day.
KOHTEI Shinshoji Zen Museum and Gardens, Fukuyama-shi, Hiroshima
Toyo Ito
Born in 1941. After graduating from the Department of Architecture, University of Tokyo, in 1965, he worked in the office of Kiyonori Kikutake. His main works include Sendai Mediatheque in Miyagi, Tama Art University Library, Hachioji Campus in Tokyo, ‘Minna no Mori’ Gifu Media Cosmos in Gifu and National Taichung Theater in Taiwan R.O.C. He is the recipient of the Golden Lion at La Biennale di Venezia, the Royal Gold Medal from the Royal Institute of British Architects, the Pritzker Architecture Prize and the UIA Gold Medal, among others.
Matsumoto Performing Arts Centre, Matsumoto-shi, Nagano
