Shigeru Ban | Japanese Architect & Sustainable Design Pioneer | Britannica (original) (raw)

Shigeru Ban (born August 5, 1957, Tokyo, Japan) is a Japanese architect who employs elements of both Japanese and American design in his projects and who is known for his pioneering use of cardboard tubes in building construction. In 2014 he was awarded the Pritzker Prize. In its citation the Pritzker jury noted his creatively designed structures, such as temporary shelters, for areas devastated by natural disasters. “When tragedy strikes, he is often there from the beginning.”

Ban studied at the Southern California Institute of Architecture from 1977 to 1980 and later moved to Cooper Union in New York City because he wanted to study under architect John Hejduk. After working for Japanese architect Arata Isozaki for two years, Ban received a degree in architecture from Cooper Union in 1984, and the following year he opened his own practice in Tokyo.

Ban developed a style known for its blend of traditional Japanese architecture with elements of American Modernism. He was most recognized for his innovative use of cardboard tubes as construction materials. He first used paper tubes in 1985–86, notably in a gallery for fashion designer Issey Miyake. Ban suggested to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) in 1994 that shelters made of paper be constructed for Rwandan refugees; he was made a consultant to the agency in 1995, and 50 such structures were built in 1998.

Close-up of a palette held by a man. Mixing paint, painting, color mixing. Britannica Quiz Artists, Painters, & Architects

The versatility and worth of the inexpensive tubes were first proved to the world in 1995, following the January 17 Kōbe earthquake that devastated the Kōbe area in west-central Japan. Ban went to the city in February, and by the end of the summer his relief work had brought 22 paper-tube cabins to shelter some of those who had lost their homes and a “paper dome” to temporarily replace a ruined Roman Catholic church. The recycled, durable, strong, and environment-friendly paper material was used to construct the dome on the grounds where the church had stood before it was leveled by the earthquake. Ban designed the structure so that it could be easily constructed and dismantled, then used again. His service was acknowledged with an award from a Japanese architecture association, which praised him for displaying an architect’s sense of mission based on deeply rooted human love.

Ban continued to use the tubes to create structures such as the Paper Arch, a decorative lattice built in 2000 and displayed in the gardens of New York City’s Museum of Modern Art. He later designed (with Jean de Gastines of France) the Pompidou Centre—Metz, a regional branch of the famed arts center. The avant-garde building, which opened in 2010, featured an undulating roof that was inspired by a Chinese bamboo hat. In addition to his architecture work, Ban held a number of professorships, including those at Yokohama National University (1995–99) and Keiō University (2001–08) in Tokyo. From 2006 to 2009 he served on the jury of the annual Pritzker Prize.

The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica This article was most recently revised and updated by Amy Tikkanen.