Shigeru Ban Architects

SHIGERU BAN

ARCHITECTS

SHIGERU BAN

Dr. Riichi Miyake, Fuji Women’s University, Sapporo

INTRODUCTION Shigeru Ban is an architect with a unique character; a soldier

architecture hitherto, aiming to establish a civil society. Dutch

whose great resolve continues to tackle the most pressing

architect John Habraken established “Planning Theory”

issues in the world today. Over the past quarter of a century

through trial and error, focusing on civic life in postwar Europe.

he has brought architecture closer to human beings, by

He dared to abolish unifying design and instead created

challenging the perceived “supremacy” of the architect. In

Planning Theory in which citizens participate, inventing a

contrast to Modernists who propounded futuristic ideologies,

flexible housing system which can adjust to an individual’s

he believes that it is an architect’s duty to face disaster with

lifestyle and career path.

strong intent. He responds to the multitude of disasters that

Planning Theory of the 20th century cannot be widely

afflict humanity with purposeful design. He is a man of action

applied, however, as the framework of the modern civil

and with a robust sense of purpose, with an ability to take

society can exist only in developed countries. In a world

action like nobody else. He is often called an architect who

with such wealth and yet such inequality, where the top one

acts or an architect who does not know fatigue, which refers

percent of the global population possess the same amount

to the alacrity with which he acts. The essence of Shigeru

of money as the bottom 54%, the ideals of a Modernist

Ban lies in his resolute will to save humankind through his

do not make sense. Shigeru Ban believes that working for

profession as an architect.

all living individuals is the very mission of an architect. For

If architecture is determined by history, then Ban’s work

him, taking into consideration all the people of the world

is a continuum of this history, yet simultaneously forward

and working for them is a fundamental requirement. The

thinking in his pioneering approach. Modern architecture,

purpose of this foreword is to review the architectural

which was born at the beginning of the 20th century,

mission of Shigeru Ban from a global perspective, in order

rebelled against the hierarchical society of the 19th century,

to discover the connection between his personality and the

emphasizing the importance of designed social housing

work he has completed over the past 30 years.

and public institutions; and it insisted that architecture be measured by the ethical values of society, not by a stylistic aesthetic. Walter Gropius, who is said to have connected Europe and the USA through Modernism, emphasized the importance of democratic architecture, trying to assimilate this idea within American society through the architectural language of the Bauhaus school. Behind this attitude lies his own sense of value for the design of cities, desiring release from the behemoth-like, dictatorial system that had informed

THE ESSENCE OF SHIGERU BAN LIES IN HIS RESOLUTE WILL TO SAVE HUMANKIND THROUGH HIS PROFESSION AS AN ARCHITECT.

7

with tens of thousands injured and even more rendered

Tokyo in 1985, initially designing housing and exhibition spaces.

homeless. The experience of building paper shelters in

In reaction to a multitude of natural disasters that occurred in the

Rwanda was extremely helpful. After the Kobe earthquake,

1990s, Shigeru’s emergency design began to take off. He

he built temporary housing for Vietnamese migrants who had

flew to disaster sites with just one bag, his sole intention to

been living in the city. The erstwhile “boatpeople,” who lived

8

design a housing system as part of reconstruction efforts. In

and worked in wooden houses in a densely populated part

1994, one year before the Great Hanshin Earthquake that hit

of Kobe, lost both their jobs and their houses in the disaster.

Kobe, he became involved in providing temporary housing

Without housing, they were forced to live in tents pitched in

for the victims and refugees of the Rwandan genocide. This

parks or on vacant land. Ban saw this desperate state of affairs

experience helped him to establish and define his trademark

and rapidly took action. In order to provide them with housing,

style of architecture, which is informed by logistics. What he

he quickly raised the required funds and designed emergency

transferred was his knowledge of materials and structures,

shelters using paper tubes. Ban called for volunteers to assist

which he had cultivated over 10 years of executing projects,

in the construction of the shelters, bringing together a group

and studying in depth structural matters dealing with lack

of likeminded people. The temporary housing was made from

of space, and interior finishing, in Japan, developing new

emergency materials such as paper tubes, plastic beer cases,

materials such as paper tubes. This knowhow contributed

and sandbags. As it was reminiscent of a wooden log house,

enormously to his construction of temporary housing, for

it was named the Paper Log House. Gathering momentum,

which immediate action was required.

Ban undertook the reconstruction of a Catholic church that

The Rwandan genocide started as a conflict between the

had burnt down in the quake. Respecting the structure of

Hutu and Tutsi tribes in April 1994, with as many as one million

the church, he adopted an elliptical plan and used paper

Rwandans losing their lives as a result. Ban saw images of

tubes to form the colonnade. The roof was made from tent

refugee families who were affected by the slaughter, as they

material which covered the space created by the colonnaded

stood stunned and shocked on the red earth of equatorial

paper tubes. This church was so beautiful that it established

Africa. He felt intuitively that he could do something to help

the idea that temporary construction could be harmonious

rebuild their society with his own knowledge and technical

and aesthetically pleasing. The Paper Church served not

skills. Six months later, in October 1994, he visited the

only as a place of prayer, but also as a community space for

United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees in Geneva,

all victims affected by the earthquake, becoming a symbol

proposing to construct a refugee shelter using paper tubes.

for the rejuvenation of the Nagata region as a whole. This

Besides food, shelter is the most indispensable requirement

series of temporary buildings was the very beginning of

for refugees. Organizations involved in disaster relief supplied

Ban’s large-scale architectural practice, which was becoming

simple tarpaulins as an alternative to housing, in order to

a social welfare organization by now, in some ways. He later

transform those tarpaulins into viable housing. Ban chose

looked back on this experience and said that he started out

paper as a structural material, in order to build paper shelters.

without knowing exactly what effect these buildings would

He flew to Rwanda with the paper shelter prototype and

produce. However, once the refugees moved in and people

began building on the spot. Paper tubes, as well as cardboard

started attending the church, he felt the humanity within

and block boards are made to an internationally recognized

the architecture and shared a sense of great joy with the

standard, allowing for efficient construction and supply of

volunteers.

materials, once local production facilities were sourced. Ban’s

The experiences in Rwanda and Kobe provided Ban’s

idea was to supply the refugee camp with a large number of

architecture with a new theme: human survival, with the form

paper tubes which were then combined with tarpaulins to

or style of the architecture no longer being the main concern.

create temporary shelters that could be assembled by the

These projects demonstrated architecture’s potential to be

refugees themselves. This became the fundamental idea of

a fundamental place of habitation for humans. It defined

his emergency architectural designs.

“emergency design” as design that is simplified to the

The Great Hanshin Earthquake occurred on January 17,

maximum, sustaining just enough for people to survive. This

1995 while Ban was busy working on the Rwanda project.

is achieved by discarding superfluous matter and removing

A great number of buildings were destroyed in Kobe and its

adjuncts such as decoration. This philosophy clearly took root

surrounding cities, and as many as 6000 people were killed,

in Ban’s emergency projects.

INTRODUCTION

After his studies in the USA, Shigeru Ban opened his office in

SHIGERU BAN

“TAKE-OFF” FOR EMERGENCY DESIGN

THE EXPERIENCES IN RWANDA AND KOBE PROVIDED BAN’S ARCHITECTURE WITH A NEW THEME: HUMAN SURVIVAL, WITH THE FORM OR STYLE OF THE ARCHITECTURE NO LONGER BEING THE MAIN CONCERN.

INNOVATION THROUGH PERSISTENCE Shigeru Ban is extremely honest about techniques and

shell structure constructed from paper tubes, which placed

space. He respects the characteristics of each object,

less of a burden on the environment, and then cover the entire

criticizing superficial and perfunctory architecture. He does

structure with material normally used in tents.

not favor sophism, and rejects the operation of rhetoric. He

The beginning of the year 2000 was the beginning of a

concentrates on studying thoroughly genuine architecture,

highly productive period for Ban. He received requests from

focusing on structure and materiality, and through their

all over the world to design new buildings. Being in such

improvement he discovers new possibilities for architecture.

demand gave him the chance to develop his practical strain

He expresses his esteem for materials by highlighting their

of architecture, and the requests ranged from museums and

physical properties, often combining materials in order to

pavilions, to theaters and performance spaces. The clients

merge complementary characteristics, thus obtaining greater

were theatrical directors or museum curators, who had a

performance. The paper tube is only one material that Ban

great interest in his novel approach. He took full advantage

has studied in this way. Others include sun-baked bricks, tent

of these opportunities, carrying out experiments and applied

structures, woods such as laminated veneer lumber (LVL),

what he had learnt from one project to the next. Such was

and cross-laminated timber (CLT). He takes time to study and

the evolution of Ban’s designs.

improve such materials and techniques, and then he applies

During the Expo in Hanover, the designing of the Centre

this knowledge to his architecture.

d’Interprétation du Canal de Bourgogne, a museum in France,

In the spirit of innovation, his very first international work, the

had begun. Despite its small scale, Ban implemented many

Japan Pavilion for Expo 2000 in Hanover is very interesting. The

new ideas in this project, perhaps a type of revenge for his

use of paper tubes indirectly promotes the recycling of paper,

experience in Hanover. The client was Voies Navigables de

as paper tubes are manufactured from recycled paper. In terms

France, which managed and controlled rivers all over France.

of the global environment, this contributes to the prevention of

The museum was constructed in a neighborhood of Dijon, in

global warming, as the paper tubes are made without burning

the region of Burgundy. The bottom sections and sides were

wood or paper, and therefore without producing carbon dioxide.

strengthened by combining paper tubes and cast iron aluminum

Ban’s series of paper tube projects that he completed in the

tubes. A three-dimensional paper tube structure was covered by

1990s attracted wide acclaim from environmentalists, and as a

semitransparent polycarbonate panels. The three-dimensional

result he was selected as the architect of the Japan Pavilion for

structure was made from an evolved paper tube of paper and

Expo 2000 in Hanover, which featured environmental issues.

metal, with rebar integrated into the paper tubes.

His intention was to utilize paper tube construction methods

With Paper Dome, a nomadic theater commissioned by a

which he had developed in Japan, endeavoring for the first time

Dutch theatrical company, Ban developed his system further.

to meet European standards. He encountered many difficulties

He succeeded in creating a hemispherical space with a

when faced with German architectural regulations, which were

diameter of 85 feet (26 meters), attempting to realize a

especially strict regarding disaster prevention and structural

large space using the least material possible. Unlike a space

systems. Ban’s original plan was to use paper tubes not as poles

frame, which extends through the combination of materials

but as a latticed framework covering the entire surface area.

in three dimensions, this structure is more like a bubble,

Connected paper tubes were elevated from the sides in order

which expands delicately. Paper tubes are connected with

to give a three-dimensional shell structure which could be

star-shaped joints, and the dome is covered with a triangular

completed in three stages. However, the German architectural

lattice, extending the idea of the geodesic dome made by

authorities did not give their approval. Ban was required to test

Buckminster Fuller. Ban placed rebar inside the paper tubes,

many criteria such as fire-resistance and material strength, so

allowing the paper tubes to act in compression and the rebar

much so that he ran out of time. He had no choice but to add an

to act in tension. Through this combination of complementary

iron structure (with some parts made from wood) in order to

materials, Ban made the most of each material, an idea that

obtain a construction permit and to attain legal approval of the

has been present in his work ever since.

project as a timber building.

Another characteristic of Shigeru Ban Architects is the use

Ban suffered a great deal from criticism that his project was in

of thorough geometry. For Ban, geometry is the basis from

some sense fantastical, as this pavilion was dedicated to the

which forms are made, and the instinct is deeply ingrained

environment, and its object was to show the importance of

within his psyche. Inspirations are realized through geometry,

recycling. It has been reported that his experience in Germany

with the combination of technique and geometry creating

became a trauma for him. Recovering from the negative

space. The structure of the dome is a concrete example of

experience became his motivation for later architectural

this methodology. Materials were selected according to their

innovation. Journalism did not go deep into the problem of

mechanical features, and through their combination these

technical authenticity. On the contrary, it applauded Ban and

materials created a uniting space. The appearance of such

supported him to further his international career, focusing on

architecture consists of a logical aesthetic and therefore a

his ability to create a large space through a three-dimensional

visual and spatial harmony is achieved.

9

INTRODUCTION

The Centre d’Interprètation du Canal de Bourgogne consists

knowledge was then implemented in his emergency housing

10

of two buildings—a Boathouse and an Institute. For the

that came into being as a response to natural disasters.

SHIGERU BAN

FROM READYMADE TO CONTAINERS

sake of cost reduction, it was constructed using readymade

Containers are suited to such housing, as they can be ready

components such as materials found at DIY stores. From a

at a moment’s notice and shipped easily, allowing for rapid

purely classical perspective, which places a high degree of

construction.

value on formal beauty, this is almost unbelievable. Pillars

Temporary housing built in the town of Onagawa, in Miyagi

consisting of slotted angle profiles (metal brackets), which

prefecture, Japan, after the Great East Japanese Earthquake

are often used in bookshelves, played the role of structure

in 2011 expresses this idea to great effect. Speed of

and flexible partitions. The uniqueness of Ban’s perspective

construction was required as it was crucial to provide housing

is that he does not deny using familiar materials in unusual

rapidly to people living in evacuation facilities such as school

ways. In the same period (1995) he was also constructing

gymnasiums after the disaster. As Onagawa is on the coast

the Furniture House, by utilizing wooden bookshelves as

on a narrow strip of land, it was difficult to secure enough flat

structural elements, again demonstrating that Ban’s ideas

sites, so Ban decided to utilize the baseball field next to the

emerge freely and with flexibility, and that his logic is not

gymnasium. He had to deal with a difficult problem, namely

limited to the traditional definitions of a material.

constructing temporary housing without any foundation

This methodology was largely developed through the use

work, on the premise that it be disassembled in future.

of shipping containers. The image that shipping containers

The solution Ban chose was to urgently import shipping

often evoke is piles of containers stacked in shipping yards.

containers from Shanghai, stacking them into a checkerboard

Containers have a solid and voluminous structure, yet as

pattern of two or three stories, and then attaching stairs and

long as the focus remains on the established definition of

hallways in order to set up blocks of housing. The volume

architecture, such piles of containers will only ever appear

of the container corresponded to the size of a room. He

as foreign objects. For Ban it is different. A container to him

made different patterns of combinations so that each space

is a readymade spatial unit, with no reason not to be utilized

could correspond correctly to a different family size. Once

in architecture. A huge Nomadic Museum was designed as

provided with interior finishing, electricity, and water supply,

a result. The museum was intended to exhibit the pictures

it became habitable accommodation. By the end of the

of a Canadian photographer, Gregory Colbert, and to be

process, nine blocks of housing were erected, providing 189

transported and installed in different cities around the

units of housing. Among those blocks, multipurpose common

world. The solution Ban found was completely unexpected.

facilities were installed.

He piled up 20-foot (6-meter) containers into four stories

The container housing, which was intended to be used

and arranged them in two columns, as if they were stacked

for only a few years, was beyond the standard of ordinary

blocks. Between the container columns he placed paper

temporary housing both in terms of performance and

tubes in two colonnaded rows, to support the tent structure,

appearance. It completely changed the previous image

which formed the roof. In order to connect one container to

of emergency housing in the case of disaster, not only

another, each container possesses holes at each corner. In

ensuring the safety of the victims but also providing

this way, if they are piled up alternately and connected at

them with a comfortable environment in which to live.

each corner, only half the number of containers is needed.

The work, including setting up the containers, required

The length of the entire space reached as long as 660 feet

construction equipment, and was therefore reliant on the

(200 meters). This enormous volume was enough to surprise

assistance of engineers. However the interior finishing

visitors. The point is that containers as well as paper tubes

and construction of furniture was completed by volunteers

are made to an international standard, allowing them to be

who came from all over Japan. On the one hand, readymade

sourced anywhere in the world, so once the containers were

products such as containers were boldly implemented on

supplied in each city the same architecture could be realized

an industrial scale, while on the other handmade furniture

from place to place. As a result, it was necessary to transport

and décor was introduced into each unit by volunteers,

only the contents of each exhibition. The Nomadic Museum

with a personal touch. This is the very epitome of people

therefore traveled from New York to Santa Monica and Tokyo,

becoming involved in architecture for the sake of revival,

changing its arrangement according to the place it inhabited,

of both people and place. This method of building brings

accomplishing its task as a temporary exhibition gallery.

architecture closer to the community, breaking the

Thanks to the Nomadic Museum, Ban had the opportunity

traditional barrier between people and the construction of

to acquire knowledge about the use of containers. This

public architecture.

CENTRE POMPIDOU METZ The highlight of Shigeru Ban’s work in the first decade of the

The timber structure made of LVL gained plasticity in all

21st century was most probably the Centre Pompidou Metz,

directions when it was woven, so that it can inherently

for which he won the design competition in 2003 and which

adapt itself to many forms. The Haesley Nine Bridges Golf

was constructed in 2010. It was a project started under the

Clubhouse (2010) in South Korea was constructed at around

auspices of Jean-Jacques Aillagon, the Minister of Culture

the same time as Centre Pompidou Metz, utilizing the

at that time, as the key institution for the enhancement

characteristics of this newly developed structure. Timber

of cultural life in the city, and regional development more

columns and the great arched ceiling are made of interlacing

generally in and around Metz. The project started as an

wooden ribbons and support the large flat roof. Star-

annex for the Centre Pompidou in Paris, constructed in 1997.

shaped coffers were formed among the ribs crossing from

A former railway yard next to Metz station was chosen by the

three different directions, allowing the light from the sky

state and the region for the building site. Ban’s proposal, in

to penetrate the atrium. This is reminiscent of the atrium

collaboration with Jean de Gastines, his partner in France,

of Mushroom Columns in the headquarters of Johnson’s

won the design competition, defeating applicants including

Wax, designed by Franck Lloyd Wright. However, it must

Herzog et de Meuron.

be said that Ban’s design is livelier that Lloyd Wright’s, and

It is an often repeated anecdote that Ban received inspiration

preserves the feeling of wood. The Chinese hat instantly

from a Chinese hat for the design of the Centre Pompidou

opened up new possibilities for wood by providing Ban with

Metz. The hat is still displayed in his office, looking as casual

an enormously productive and creative period.

as a souvenir picked up on a trip to Southeast Asia. The hat

During the decade starting with the Hanover Expo in 2000

actually means a lot more than that, as its woven bamboo

to the Centre Pompidou Metz, Ban introduced a whole new

curved surface gave Ban the idea of the wooden structure

world to the field of architecture, the concept of “woven

covering a large space. Each bamboo length forms freely

architecture” being a typical example. Unexpectedly, it

drawn soft curved lines, which when compressed form a pillar,

started quite simply. He transformed the mechanical

and when widened, form a shell. It displayed the possibility

characteristics of a material into a large timber structure.

of free form manufacture, released from stereotypical

He has investigated traditional bambooware, which can

structures such as the classical dome or the vault. Recognizing

be found in everyday life in Japan, such as ajiro, a woven

the freedom of its design, Ban tried to propose a new special

bamboo structure, and wappa, a wooden box made of

model alternative to the Dom-Inosystem of Le Corbusier or

thin bent boards. Everyday goods used in Asia including

the shell structure of Félix Candela. In the end, he completed

bambooware from China have also given him inspiration.

the structure system by replacing bamboo with LVL.

The recent technology of making LVL, developed from

The overall spatial structure is simple. The hat, made of LVL,

plywood, enabled this realization. The dynamic use of

formed the main roof structure. Under the roof, three stacked

timber has considerable benefits in terms of protecting the

rectangular tubes created exhibition galleries. Three different

global environment. Paper tubes are recyclable and are a

axis or cityscape lines connected the monumental points of

changeable material thanks to their standardized production

the city corresponding to the direction in which each tube

system. LVL is another solution for environmental problems.

was rotated. The scenery was adopted as the determinant of

New designs with unexpected effects can be produced when

Ban’s architectural design. The plan view formed a hexagon,

each technique is reconsidered, beyond its fundamental

connecting each side of the three tubes. The hat, supported

essence, in order to re-invent it and adapt it to the modern

at six points, was covered with tent material and together

world. New techniques and new designs can be born in

it made a curving roof. The soft geometry of the hexagon

such circumstances, not under the ordinary business-based

covered the rigid geometry of rectilinear tubes.

conditions which set a high value on efficiency.

ITS [THE HAT’S] WOVEN BAMBOO CURVED SURFACE GAVE BAN THE IDEA OF THE WOODEN STRUCTURE COVERING A LARGE SPACE.

11

what he was trying to achieve, allowed Ban to pull off

traditional Japanese wooden spaces. He places great value

this project successfully. At first glance, it appears to be

on the versatility of architecture. His greatest challenge is to

an ordinary building set within an existing square, but it

guarantee the rationality of a wooden structure by figuring

is worth noting that the project was realized due to Ban’s

out the geometry that is suitable for its physical properties.

ability to source solid materials with large sections at an

12

If the woven structure mentioned above forms one pole, the

affordable price, with each part precisely manufactured

other pole should be seen in his challenge to design ordinary

thanks to computer-aided design.

structures, consisting of columns and beams, entirely in

The climax of the “woodification” period is probably the Oita

wood. He dared to take on this challenge when he designed

Prefectural Art Museum, which was constructed in 2015.

a new office building for the Swiss media company Tamedia

In the autumn of 2011, one year after the opening of the

in Zurich in 2013. Column-beam structures made from wood

Centre Pompidou Metz, Ban won the public competition for

can be found everywhere in the world and they are nothing

this project. He had been proceeding with this project at the

new in themselves. However, what Ban attempted with this

same time as the Tamedia office building. He maintained the

project was to create a large, transparent space within the

theme of ‘a museum enclosed by wood’ for his proposal. As

seven-story office building. He was commissioned to secure

in Europe, the movement for promoting the use of wood

a large space without any pillars, leaving as large an opening

in construction gathered pace in Japan, for the sake of

as possible, doing away with braces, which obstruct the view.

greenhouse gas reduction and promotion of sustainable

It is typical of Ban to develop new underlying techniques with

forestry. In 2010, the Japanese government passed a law

a view to accomplishing his duty. As previously, he attached

for the promotion of utilizing wood for public buildings. The

great importance to suitability in the combination of different

law specifies that all low-rise public buildings should be

materials and had been searching for a means to do away

constructed from wood. In addition, Oita prefecture had been

with metal joints, which had a different physical property,

emphasizing the promotion of forestry and the increased use

in place of wood. He proposed making a timber structure of

of locally harvested wood.

two different lengths out of large section of LVL, with a main

This art museum is open to all citizens and aims to convey this

span of 35 feet (11 meters) and a secondary one of 10 feet

invitation in its architecture. It was important for the design

(3.2 meters). Fixed with tie beams and elliptical rods made

of the museum to blend the outdoor/indoor space and

of timber, these rods played the role of joints by penetrating

also to think of a system which connects/disconnects the

both column and beam.

outdoor public space to or from the indoor space, according

As a result, its appearance consisting of columns and

to circumstances, and to service various programs. To meet

beams is reminiscent of the steel structure of the Centre

these requirements, Ban designed a large open atrium space

Pompidou in Paris. However, in terms of its spatial and

on the ground floor surrounded entirely by movable bi-folding

structural characteristics it resembles rather more medieval

doors facing the neighborhood. Above this, a large closed

ecclesiastical architecture consisting of naves and aisles.

box consisting of exhibition rooms was installed. A large

It could even be said that it recalls Buddhist temples of the

atrium without pillars was achieved by connecting external

Chinese Sung era, whose structure obtained rigidity by nuki,

studwork with large-span timber trusses. The surface of the

the penetrating tie beams used in traditional framing. The

box above was divided into small grids in order to differentiate

structure is entirely glazed, including its roof. The texture of

it from the atrium space below. The main structure is steel

the wood and the transparency of glass, when combined,

but the surfaces of the box above are surrounded by short

create modern office spaces, and Ban has realized a powerful

braces made of solid cedar. It is similar to the Tamedia office

yet smooth and transparent space as was his intention when

building in the way that the timber construction is glazed.

he set about designing the project.

It is worth mentioning that Ban made the wooden pattern

European countries, especially Switzerland and Finland, are

smaller so that it resembled the bambooware typical of the

well known for their sophisticated use of wood. In addition

Oita region, which is famous for its bamboo forests. He has

to his experience constructing Centre Pompidou Metz,

realized an ingenious architectural work, without trying to be

Ban’s collaboration with a Swiss structural engineer who

different but simply by integrating the ‘woodification’ process

excelled at timber construction, and close cooperation with

for environmental protection, with the museum’s aim of

local LVL manufacturer Hermann Blumer, who understood

community development.

INTRODUCTION

Ban’s approach to wooden architecture is very different from

SHIGERU BAN

WOODIFICATION

[BAN] ATTACHED GREAT IMPORTANCE TO SUITABILITY IN THE COMBINATION OF DIFFERENT MATERIALS AND HAD BEEN SEARCHING FOR A MEANS TO DO AWAY WITH METAL JOINTS, WHICH HAD A DIFFERENT PHYSICAL PROPERTY, IN PLACE OF WOOD.

AFTER THE GREAT EAST JAPAN EARTHQUAKE The great tsunami that occured off the coast of Sendai on

When the Canterbury earthquake struck the South Island ofNew

March 11, 2011 shocked people around the world. It was trigged

Zealand in early 2011, a few weeks before the Great East Japan

by a great earthquake of magnitude 9.0 on the Richter scale,

Earthquake, the Gothic Revival Cathedral in Christchurch was

the second most powerful earthquake, after the Sumatra

severely damaged and was eventually demolished, as nothing

earthquake of 2004, since record-keeping began. The image

could be saved. Ban was asked to design a temporary cathedral

of the tsunami striking the 375-mile (600 kilometers) Pacific

that could serve local worshippers and the wider community

shoreline from Hokkaido to Tohoku was broadcast worldwide

until a new cathedral was built. Of course, he accepted the

on television and online. Local people became confused

request free of charge, as volunteering work. He had been deeply

and desperate, when faced with the terrible destruction

interested in designing cathedrals and churches that serve

caused by the tsunami, which was much worse than the

people’s faith and need for assembly, having built a temporary

damage caused by the earthquake. Architects were obliged

church to replace a Catholic church that had burnt to the ground

to accept the powerlessness of architecture confronted by

in Kobe after the Great Hanshin Earthquake. He asked himself

the overwhelming power of nature. Indeed, the architectural

how to realize the religious function and symbolism attached to

world was filled with pessimism. Nevertheless, Ban and the

a church, with the condition of it being temporary, and placed

nonprofit organization Voluntary Architects’ Network (VAN),

emphasis on making a logical construction, even more so than in

over which he presided, courageously rose to the challenge.

his previous works. In the case of Kobe, he designed the project

Since the time of the Great Hanshin Earthquake in Kobe in 1995,

with many columns placed in an ellipse form, as in early Baroque

VAN has been helping victims and serving to reconstruct disaster

architecture. In contrast, he envisaged a Gothic-style pointed

areas. Ban has been a constant activist, assembling volunteers,

triangular plan for Christchurch.

raising funds, and providing temporary shelters and housing

The temporary cathedral measures 80 feet (24 meters) in

in the event of major disasters such as the Izmit earthquake in

length, retaining the same height as the former cathedral by

western Turkey in 1999, the Sumatran earthquake and tsunami in

placing containers on each side and covering them with a roof

2004, the Sichuan earthquake of 2008, the L’Aquila earthquake

made of paper tubes. The combined structure of containers and

in Italy in 2009, the Canterbury earthquake in New Zealand in

paper tubes can be considered as a continuation of the Nomadic

2011, the Great Eastern Japan earthquake and tsunami in 2011,

Museum, although in this case the containers play a secondary

the super typhoon Hainan in 2013, and the Nepal earthquake of

role, solidifying the base as if they were aisles. The paper tubes

2015. He puts considerable passion and energy into this activity,

point upwards, creating a large space for the nave. In the process

and it is not easy for other architects or engineers to do the same.

of deciding its form, Ban extracted a triangular geometric

He could simply be called a social activist, but it should not be

form from the design of former cathedral and its spires. He

forgotten that it is the professional responsibility of an architect

emphasized the depth of the nave by gradually reducing the

that makes him act. Ban says that “in the case of an earthquake,

width of the triangular form, as it progressed from the equilateral

nobody dies from the earthquake itself. Collapsing buildings

triangle form of the porch to the acute isosceles triangle form of

injure and kill people,” and emphasizes the need for relief and

the choir. The cathedral, which has a capacity of 700 people, was

reconstruction based on knowledge and technique. Among all

furnished with plywood chairs and plywood sacred utensils also

architects, he put the most effort into reconstruction, following

designed by Ban, to create design coherence. The temporary

the Great East Japan Earthquake which struck his homeland. He

cathedral was dedicated in August 2013.

put enormous energy into the development and installation of

Since 2010, Ban has achieved remarkable things. He is

emergency housing units using paper tubes, (the Paper Partition

engaged in large projects all over the world such as La

System) and the construction and management of temporary

Seine Musicale on the Ile Seguin in the suburbs of Paris.

housing. The idea of using paper tubes was widely adopted, and

He is a global authority in the field of architecture and

the Paper Partition System was installed in evacuation facilities

even beyond the field of his profession, he has gained

to provide private space to evacuees, while a school built in the

academic admiration, and his influence as a social activist

disaster zone was constructed using a paper tube structure.

is extremely strong. He travels the world constantly and

Because of the seriousness of the situation, rapid production,

in the event of disaster, he invariably travels straight to

large supplies, speedy construction, and durability were

the site without delay, despite his busy schedule. Thanks

required. VAN’s motto is not only taking a flexible process to the

to his constant efforts, architecture has been liberated

construction site but also being a flexible organization in which

from the narrow confines of a profitmaking activity, to

both volunteers and victims can participate in its management.

become development work that is seen in a new light, as

VAN translates the idea of social participation in action in the

a means of salvation for mankind. He is loyal to his spatial

most practical way. Through a series of such projects, Ban’s

and aesthetic sense, pursues sustained innovation, and

experimental social commitment, which was triggered in the

maintains an indomitable attitude with a fundamental

mid-1990s by the Rwandan genocide and the Great Hanshin

concern for humanity. The ideas and works of Shigeru Ban

Earthquake, gradually became a social program which went

are making a substantial contribution to the construction

beyond the traditional parameters of architecture.

of a new vision of society in the 21st century.

13

125

PAPER TUBE CONSTRUCTION CONTAINER TEMPORARY HOUSING—ONAGAWA

126

127

PAPER TUBE CONSTRUCTION HERMÈS PAVILION

128

HERMÈS PAVILION Location Milan, Italy Date 2011 Project team Shigeru Ban, Jean de Gastines Construction engineer Hermès France General contractor SODIFRA, France Principal use Exhibition pavilion Design 2010 Construction 2011 Site area 10,765 ft2 (1000 m²) Floor area 2305 ft2 (214m²) Structure Paper tubes, birch plywood, paper sheets

The concept of the pavilion was to create a nomadic exhibition structure easy to assemble and disassemble; all the structure is made of four different diameters of paper tubes and connected with wood standard panels to create the horizontal elements. This structure using standard prefab elements also permits the creation of many different shapes according to the future site condition.

In order to reduce the volumes for shipping, it is possible to nest the four different diameters of paper tubes.

129

295

RESIDENTIAL METHODOLOGY NAKED HOUSE

296

The house consists of unique single large space two stories high, in which four private rooms on casters can be moved freely. To reduce weight and optimize mobility, the rooms are not very large and contain a minimum of belongings and fittings, and can be moved according to need. Placed against the walls of the house, in front of the heating or airconditioning units, warm air or cooling breezes flow inside.

The rooms can also be placed side by side to create a larger room, when their sliding doors are removed. They can be taken outside, on the terrace, and also work as a supplementary floor in which the children can play.

VARIATIONS 0

200

400 cm

SECTION 0

100

200 cm

297

RESIDENTIAL METHODOLOGY MAISON E

298

MAISON E

Location Fukushima, Japan Date 2006 Project team Shigeru Ban, Nobutaka Hiraga, Tamaki Terai, Tota Goya ConsultantHoshino Architect & Engineer (Structural),Chiku Engineering Consultants (Mechanical), Studio on Site (landscape) Principal use Residence Design Fall, 2004–Spring, 2005 Construction Mid-2005 - Mid-2006 Site area 20,385 ft2 (1894 m2) Floor area 12,925 ft2 (1201 m2) Structure Steel frame; brick, glass panel shutter, aluminum louver, green wall, granite (exterior); plaster board, limestone, wood flooring, brick (interior)

This building, besides being a family residence, was also a place for welcoming guests, and the greatest challenge was to create a balance between the private and public areas.

This was the second project to utilize the tartan grid building composition. The first project, Shutter House for a Photographer, was located on a narrow 3145-square-foot (292-square-meter) site in a prime area of Tokyo, surrounded by buildings on three sides. A tartan grid composed of squares and rectangles created the structural grid which defined the most suitable plan that balances the continuity of interior spaces and courtyards. In comparison, the site for this project was an expansive plot of 20,385 square feet (1894 square meters) developed for residential suburban use, and surrounded by roads on three sides. The tartan grid was utilized not only for finding the balance between interior and exterior, but was used purposely to limit the endless design possibilities of a vast site like this, and to use the rules of the grid for balancing structure, interior and exterior space, and the relationship between private and public areas.

299

431