Tadao Ando (13 September 1941), the 1995 recipient of the Pritzker Prize, turns 72 today. Ando, a Japanese architect based out of Osaka, Japan, is highly regarded for his unparalleled work with concrete, sensitive treatment of natural light, and strong engagement with nature.
After briefly working as a truck driver and a professional boxer, Ando embarked on a largely self-taught architectural education that included apprenticeships, night classes, and visits to renowned buildings across the world. He opened his office in 1969 in Osaka, Japan, and achieved fame quickly, being awarded the Annual Prize of the Architectural Institute of Japan as early as 1979. Among his early influences were Louis Kahn, Ludwig Mies van der Rohe, Le Corbusier, and Frank Lloyd Wright.
Ando’s mastery of light, nature, and space catapulted him onto the global stage by the mid 1980s. His buildings derive form from simple geometries that contrast with complex 3-dimensional circulation, reflecting his desire for his architecture to be an immersive physical experience. He has explained his method, saying, “When I design buildings, I think of the overall composition, much as the parts of a body would fit together. On top of that, I think about how people will approach the building and experience that space…. If you give people nothingness, they can ponder what can be achieved from that nothingness.”
Recent work by Ando includes the Hansol Museum in South Korea, whose doors opened this past May, and the Asia University Art Museum, which has not yet been constructed.
Check out Ando’s works on ArchDaily:
Church of the Light
Koshino House
Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth
Church on the Water
Happy Birthday Tadao Ando! originally appeared on ArchDaily, the most visited architecture website on 13 Sep 2013.
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