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Toyo Ito

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Toyo Ito (伊東豊雄, Itō Toyo’o; 1941-) is considered “one of the world’s most innovative and influential architects” (Designboom).

Ito is known for creating extreme conceptual architecture, in which he seeks to melt the physical and virtual worlds. He is a leading exponent of architecture that addresses issues of the contemporary notion of a ‘simulated’ city.

Ito was born in Seoul, South Korea (at the time, Japan had colonized the country). Ito graduated from Tokyo University’s, Department of Architecture in 1965. After working for Kiyonori Kikutake Architect and Associate from 1965 to 1969, he started his own studio, ‘Urban Robot’ (urbot) in 1971, in Tokyo. In 1979, the studio changed its name to Toyo Ito & Associates, Architects. Throughout his early career Toyo Ito constructed numerous private housing projects that revealed the hidden layer of urban life in Japan. His most remarkable early conceptual contributions were made through the projects of this scale. See White U in 1976 and Silver Hut in 1984.

With the ‘Pao for the Tokyo Nomad Girl’ Project’s in 1985 Toyo Ito developed a vision of a life of an Urban Nomad, illustrious to the human life involved in the bubble economy of Japan.

Tower of winds in Yokohama in 1986 and Egg of winds in 1991 are interactive landmarks in the public space as the result of creative confrontation with the technical possibilities which the future will bring.

Toyo Ito is known in Japan to raise a talented younger generation of architects. Architects who worked for his office include, Kazuyo Sejima (SANAA), Klein Dytham, and Katsuya Fukushima.

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