Tadao Ando

Born in Osaka, japan 1941 He did not receive any formal architectural schooling, instead he trained by himself. Early influences corbusier, FLW, kahn

Tadao Ando
"I was never a good student. I always prefered learning things on my own outside of class There's a lot of great traditional architecture in the area. I was studying architecture by going to see actual building, and reading books about them.

"I traced the drawings of le corbusier early period so many times, that all pages turned black

Tadao Ando
Ando developed a radically new architecture characterized by the use of unfinished reinforced concrete structures: Using a geometric simplicity Architecture shares the serenity and clarity that characterize traditional Japanese architecture. He is winner of many prestigous architectural awards Carlsberg Prize (1992), Pritzker Prize (1995), Praemium Imperiale (1996), Gold Medal of Royal Institute of British Architects (1997)

The development of reinforced concrete enabled contemporary structures to have a variety of forms , ranging from simple to complex. He wanted nature to be drawn into the architecture. Light is another, if not the most important elemental material Ando uses in his work. He had a quote stating,

Church of light

His use of materials accommodated the town of Osaka's economical restrains. With the use of ando concrete ,which is more dense, enabled less material to be used and it efficiently carried the same loads. Minimalist approach- purity and elegance- light and darkness guides the viewerevoke emotions

I hoped this project would raise an issue against current tendency. I tried to see to what extent an affluent space can be created with a minimum budget in an era flooded with goods and materials.

In all my works, light is an important controlling factor. I create enclosed spaces mainly by means of thick concrete walls. The primary reason is to create a place for the individual, a zone for oneself within society. When the external factors of a citys environment require the wall to be without openings, the interior must be especially full and satisfying. It may seem almost impossible inspire such a large amount of emotion from a seemingly fairly empty space.

It is because the space is so empty that all of the focus is placed on the light as a design feature. There is no other distractions within the space to detract from the reverence and significance the light gives.

Church of water
You cannot simply put something new into a place. You have to absorb what you see around you, what exists on the land, and then use that knowledge along with contemporary thinking to interpret what you see.

To the west, the church is surrounded by hills and trees, and a resort hotel lies to the east. The church, with a form of two overlapping cubes, faces a large pond which steps down towards the small natural river. The larger of the two cubes serves as the chapel, and meets the entrance of the smaller cube with a semi-circular spiral staircase. In order to separate the church from the hotel that rests behind it, a long, L-shaped wall runs alongside the south and east of the buildings that line the edge of the pond.

KOBE, JAPAN

NORTH OF OSAKA BAY AND THE PORT OF KOBE

BASIC INFORMATION
Location : Kobe, Japan Structure : Reinforced concrete

Building type : 9 storey Low-rise building

Completion : Phase l : 1978-83 Phase ll : 1985-93 Phase lll : 1991-98 Architect : Tadao Ando

CHARACTERISTICS : Slope Grid

Openness & Privacy Public spaces

Extensive grading and demolition of hill required. Building replaces the mass removed.

Rokko Housing was a proposal on a 60 degree sloping southern-oriented site on the edge of the Rokko Mountains in the city of Kobe. Tadao Ando integrated his design with natural landscape. Collective housing was created with variegated relationship between public and private through the concept of alley spaces and public terraces where residents encounter.

Grid system
The whole housing complex is formed in a grid system framework. The units and spaces are fitted into this grid framework, with standardization. All the living cells are displayed in a wide variety of layouts in this organized stepped terrace. The housing complex is facing the ocean, so the residents on different levels all receive different vistas of the natural beauty.

ROKKO I 5.4 x 4.8 meter grid system 20 units Grid changes while ascending the hill Each unit given personal terrace Symmetrical plan Topography allows diversity Each unit is unique in size, views and character Central circulation creates community interaction

ROKKO II 5.2 x 5.2 meter grid system 50 units Three clusters of buildings Uses ideas from Rokko I axial symmetry central circulation

Openness achieved while privacy maintained

ROKKO III
Prefabricated elements Different language from l and ll

Neighbourhood courtyard

3 Types of Garden 1. Private terrace 2. Communal garden 3. Public nature trail