Contemporary Japanese Architecture. XL

English edition. Contemporary architecture of Japan has long been among the most creative in the world, recognized for sustainability and endless creativity. No fewer than seven Japanese architects have won the Pritzker Prize. Since the 1970 Osaka World Expo brought contemporary forms to center stage, Japan has been a key player in global architecture. With his deliberately limited vocabulary of geometric shapes, Tadao Ando has since placed Japanese construction on the world cultural map, establishing a bridge between East and West. Following Ando’s mostly concrete buildings, figures like Kengo Kuma (Japanese National Stadium for the Olympic Games), Shigeru Ban (Mount Fuji World Heritage Center), and Kazuyo Sejima (21st Century Museum of Contemporary Art Kanazawa) have paved the way for a more sustainable approach. Younger generations have successfully developed new directions in Japanese architecture that are in harmony with nature and connected to traditional construction. Rather than designing at the drawing table, the architects featured in this collection stand out for their endless search for forms, truly responding to their environment.