Japanese, b. 1957
Ban Shigeru (born August 5, 1957, Tokyo, Japan) is a Japanese architect who employs elements of both Japanese and American Modernism in his projects and who was known for his pioneering use of cardboard tubes in building construction. In 2014 he was awarded the Pritzker Prize. In its citation the Pritzker jury noted his creatively designed structures, such as temporary shelters, for areas devastated by natural disasters. “When tragedy strikes, he is often there from the beginning.”
For Ban, one of the most important themes in his work is the “invisible structure” which does not overly exhibit structural elements, but rather chooses to incorporate them into the design. A use of simple building materials guides his unique structural solutions, and his creations reflect continuing surveys into basic geometric elements. Owing to his innovative thinking, Ban has been marked “a gentle revolutionary, guiding contemporary architecture toward transparency, the spherical and the open.”
Ban studied at the Southern California Institute of Architecture from 1977 to 1980 and later moved to Cooper Union in New York City because he wanted to study under architect John Hejduk. After working for Japanese architect Isozaki Arata for two years, Ban received a degree in architecture from Cooper Union in 1984, and the following year he opened his own practice in Tokyo.
Ban has served as a visiting professor of architecture and design at schools such as Harvard University and Cornell University, and is the founder of Shigeru Ban Architects in Japan.
For Ban, one of the most important themes in his work is the “invisible structure” which does not overly exhibit structural elements, but rather chooses to incorporate them into the design. A use of simple building materials guides his unique structural solutions, and his creations reflect continuing surveys into basic geometric elements. Owing to his innovative thinking, Ban has been marked “a gentle revolutionary, guiding contemporary architecture toward transparency, the spherical and the open.”
Ban studied at the Southern California Institute of Architecture from 1977 to 1980 and later moved to Cooper Union in New York City because he wanted to study under architect John Hejduk. After working for Japanese architect Isozaki Arata for two years, Ban received a degree in architecture from Cooper Union in 1984, and the following year he opened his own practice in Tokyo.
Ban has served as a visiting professor of architecture and design at schools such as Harvard University and Cornell University, and is the founder of Shigeru Ban Architects in Japan.
