website: www.shigerubanarchitects.com

awards: 2014 Pritzker Prize

Shigeru Ban (坂茂, Ban Shigeru; born 1957 in Tokyo, Japan) is an accomplished Japanese and international architect, most famous for his innovative work with paper, particularly recycled cardboard paper tubes used to quickly and efficiently house disaster victims. Shigeru Ban was the winner in 2005 at age 48 of the 40th annual Thomas Jefferson Medal in Architecture from the University of Virginia in Charlottesville. He was profiled by TimeMagazine in their projection of 21st century innovators in the field of architecture and design.  

The things that influence or provides design inspiration? Frei Otto’s work as earnest inspiration (Ban has reappropriated Otto’s double curvature gridshell in paper tube in a number of his auditoriums). “I’ve learned a lot from [Otto]. He always tries to use minimum material and minimum energy to make maximum space.” Ban is unwaveringly stanch and practical. “I like architects who are able to design a new system according to the material,” he continues. “I don’t take inspiration of other things.”

All sites for Shigeru Ban:

Onagawa Station

Onagawa Station

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Location: Onagawa, Japan
Architect/Designer: Shigeru Ban
Tamedia Zurich

Tamedia Zurich

1 Star2 Stars3 Stars4 Stars5 Stars (1 vote, 60.00% worth checking out)
Location: Zurich, Switzerland
Architect/Designer: Shigeru Ban
Nine Bridges Resort

Nine Bridges Resort

1 Star2 Stars3 Stars4 Stars5 Stars (1 vote, 100.00% worth checking out)
Location: Jeju Island, Korea
Architect/Designer: Shigeru Ban
Christchurch Temporary Catherdral

Christchurch Temporary Catherdral

1 Star2 Stars3 Stars4 Stars5 Stars (2 vote, 100.00% worth checking out)
Location: Christchurch, New Zealand
Architect/Designer: Shigeru Ban

Nicolas G Hayek Center

1 Star2 Stars3 Stars4 Stars5 Stars (3 vote, 66.67% worth checking out)
Location: Tokyo, Japan
Architect/Designers: Shigeru Ban

Centre Pompidou-Metz

1 Star2 Stars3 Stars4 Stars5 Stars (3 vote, 86.67% worth checking out)
Location: Metz, France
Architect/Designers: Shigeru Ban + Jean de Gastines

The Nomadic Museum

1 Star2 Stars3 Stars4 Stars5 Stars (2 vote, 60.00% worth checking out)
Architect/Designers: Shigeru Ban