Imprimir

ANDO, Tadao

Arquitecto
1941 - Osaka. Japón

Enlaces
Obras
Bibliografía

Imágenes

Although the relationship and interest in Japanese architectural culture in the West developed from the 19th century and throughout the 20th century, it was revitalized again with figures such as Tadao Ando. Active architect in Japan, Europe and the United States, since the creation of his architecture studio in Osaka in 1970, he has a close relationship with traditional architecture, culture and Japanese history, which is reflected in the buildings.

A self-taught character, with no academic training or architectural qualifications, he made up for his initial lack of knowledge with constant reading and above all with his particular ground-level interest in aesthetic and technical-constructive principles, to which he remained especially attached from the beginning. of his professional work.

Concepts of traditional Japanese architecture such as Mujo (change in the perception of things), Engawa (intermediate space between interior and exterior), Shakkei (borrowed landscape), Ma (previous indications of arrival at a place) or Hashi (path) form an intrinsic part of his modern architectural work.

The different scholars of Tadao Ando (K. Frampton, P. Jodidio, Francesco Dal Co, W. Curtis, M. Furuyama...), have pointed out in the midst of his modern architecture, the contribution that this Japanese architect makes to the international architectural debate, uniting concepts such as identity, context and globalization, being one of the greatest representatives of the so-called critical regionalism (an architectural movement that, with a modern expression in its architecture, shows its connection with the place and tradition).

After a particularly tough youth in a poor neighborhood of Osaka, where he had relative success as a boxer, he undertook architectural trips from 1962-69 to Europe, Africa and the United States. After hesitant beginnings, with postmodern creations for shopping centers, he went fixing in his later works, the characteristics of his architecture.

Based mainly on:

1.- The use of concrete walls, smooth, with naked, powerful textures and a soft touch where the marks of the formwork are noticeable.

2.- These walls progressively open towards the outside, despite the introspection of their creations, allowing light to penetrate through the corners and illuminate the walls, transforming the complexity of the interior spaces.

3.- Its walls cut the sky and the water is reflected in them on many occasions, giving them a strong geometric character.

4.- With these aforementioned elements, create an aesthetic of absence, with “silent walls” developing an architecture of space.

5.- Finally, another of its characteristics is what has come to be called site craftsmanship. Ando's architecture is especially adept on narrow and irregular plots, on steep terrain.

These and other values have served as the basis for obtaining numerous titles and international recognitions. Standing out among them is the Pritzker Prize for architecture that was awarded in 1995.

Mariano J. RUIZ DE AEL

Subir