Shigeru Ban Is A Symbol Of Japan’s Modern Architecture Industry – His visionary aesthetic, at once fluid and geometric, has taken shape in temporary structures like relief housing, a cathedral, and a bridge—all with an innate understanding of impermanence, the environment, and humanity. See why he has become one of the biggest symbols of Japan’s modern architecture and design!

Shigeru Ban was profiled by Time magazine in their projection of 21st-century innovators in the field of architecture and design. Born on August 5 in 1957, Shigeru Ban is a Japanese architect that gained international acclaim by using unorthodox materials such as cardboard and paper for structures designed to aid disaster victims around the globe. His ability to design buildings that blend human needs with breathtaking visual dynamism was honed at Manhattan’s Cooper Union School of Architecture, where he studied under John Hejduk, one-fifth of the famed New York Five group of architects. In addition to his humanitarian work, Ban’s has created museums, homes, and short-term pavilions, each showcasing innovative use of space and material.

The renowned architect has won several design awards since 1985, such as the Display of the Year, Japan, “Emilio Ambasz” Exhibition (1986), the Mainichi Design Prize (1995), the Akademie der Kunste (Berlin Art Award), Germany (2000), the Grand Prize of AIJ 2009: Nicolas G. Hayek Center (2009), the 2017 AIA Awards – Architecture. Aspen Art Museum (2017) and the Japan Wood Design Award 2018, Mt Fuji World Heritage Centre (2018).

According to Shigeru Ban, the only way for architects to keep their work free from the influence of such transient fashions is to come up with new ways to actually build things — new materials, for example, or new approaches to structural engineering.

Here is an ultimate list of Shigeru Ban’s most notable design projects:

#1 New Zealand’s Cardboard Cathedral:

Shigeru Ban’s cardboard cathedral in the largest city on the South Island of New Zealand is among the latest in a succession of projects he has undertaken at the sites of natural and humanitarian disasters.

#2 Centre Pompidou-Metz:

The undulating fiberglass roof of the Centre Pompidou-Metz in Metz, France, forms a large hexagon over the galleries and restaurant within.

#3 Japan Pavilion, Germany:

This project Shigeru Ban was constructed to produce as little waste as possible once dismantled, the pavilion remains the largest paper structure ever built to date.

#4 Haesley Nine Bridges Golf Clubhouse:

Completed in 2009, the clubhouse features separate spaces for regular members and VIPs.

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