PORTADA
Vi si o naries
TA D A O A N D O Life of a creator
“If you give people nothingness, they can ponder what can be achieved from that n o t h i n g n e s s.”
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TA DAO
A N D O
Visionaries Published by Andrea Ramírez Copyright © by Andrea Ramírez
All rights deser ved. Published in the United States by Andrea Ramirez, a division of Random House. Inc, New York, www.randomhouse.com
Visionaries and the colophone are registered trademarks of Random House, Inc. Library of Congress Cataloging-in-publication data Ramírez, Andrea [date] Includes bibliographical references ISBN 978-0-307-59559-1
Jacket Design by Andrea Ramírez Manufactured in Monterrey, Mexico First Edition.
INDEX
8.
Early life
13.
Impression
14.
Inspiration
23.
Wo r k & D e s i g n
28.
References
THE SPEED OF CHANGE M A K E S YO U WO N D E R W H AT W I L L B E C O M E O F ARC HITECTURE.
E A R LY
LIFE T a d a o A n d o was born in 1941 in Osaka, Japan. Growing up in that city as Japan recovered prom the war, Tadao Ando spent the most of time out of doors, and was raised by his grandmother, whose name was “ando�. His studying was very unusual. Tadao Ando took a number of visits to the United States, Europe and Africa in the period between 1962 and 1969. It was certainly at that time that Tadao Ando began to form his own ideas about architectural design, before founding Tadao Ando Architectural & Associates in Osaka in 1969.
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I WA S N E V E R A G O O D S T U D E N T. I A LWAY S PREFERED LEARNING T H I N G S O N M Y OW N OUTSIDE OF CL ASS. I WA S S T U DY I N G A R C H I T E C T U R E BY G O I N G T O S E E AC T UA L B U I L D I N G , AND READIN G BOOKS ABOUT THEM.
His first interest in architecture was
It was certainly at that time that Tadao
nourished in tadao’s 15 by buying a book
Ando began to form his own ideas about
of Le Corbusier sketches. “I traced the
architectural design, before founding
drawings of his early period so many
Tadao Ando Architectural & Associates
times, that all pages turned black,” says
in Osaka in 1969. Tadao Ando ‘s winner
Tadao Ando: “in my mind I quite often
of many prestigous architectural awards,
wonder how Le Corbusier would have
for example Carlsberg Prize, Pritzker
thought about this project or that.”
Prize, Praemium Imperiale, Gold Medal
Tadao Ando took a number of visits
of Royal Institute of British Architects
to the United States, Europe and Africa
and now is one of the most highly re-
in the period between 1962 and 1969.
spected architect in the world. 11
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IMPRESSION The first impression of his architecture is its M AT E R I A L I T Y. His large and powerfull walls set a limit.
A second impression of his work is the TAC T I L I T Y. His hard walls seem soft to touch, ad
Third impression is the EMPTINESS. Only light space surround the visitor in Tadao Ando ‘s building. 13
I N S P I R AT I O N Other things that had influenced his work and vocabulary of architecture is the pantheon in Rome and “enso”, which is mysterious circle drawn by zen-budhists and symbolizing emptiness, loneliness, oneness and the moment of englightment. The circle and other rigorous geometrical forms are the basic forms of Tadao Ando‘s art presentation. This mentioned building was a simple block building, inserted into a narrow street of row houses. 14
The whole object space is divided into a three equal rectangular spaces, while the central part is atrium. The space nearest the doorway contains the living room at ground level, and the bedroom above. The last final space contains the kitchen and bathtroom below, and the master bedroom above. Build in the wooden residential area above the port city of Kobe. The Koshino House, second realisation of Tadao Ando, was completed in two phrases. 15
This house is a masterpiece, and collects all fragments of Tadao Ando ‘s architectonical vocabulary, mainly the light. All Tadao Ando ‘s work is characteristically simple, and we can find similar forms in the first half of 20th century: “I am interested in a dialogue with the architecture of the past”, Tadao Ando says, “but it must be filtered through my own vision and my own experience. I am indebted to Le Corbusier and Ludwig Mies van der Rohe, but the same way, I take what they did and interpret it in my own fashion.” One of the first projects to bring international attention to Tadao Ando was his Rokko Housing I. (Kobe, Hyogo, 198183), which is situated much further down the slope of the Rokko Moutains than the Koshino house, this complex is wedged into a restricted site on a south-facing 60 degrees slope. Why was this monumental resident building so successful ? “ I think architecture becomes interesting when it has a double character, that is, when it is as simple as possible but, at the same time as complex as possible
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1
Ando designs independent of any movement or school of architecture, responding instead to his own inner vision. The key elements of his work are
WA L L S , L I G H T & W I N D
He fashions enclosing geometric walls of thick concrete to create powerful and satisfying interiors that provide a private zone for the individual against the chaos of urban forces. He uses glass and the play of light and wind within his structures to bring the calming aspects of nature inside. His architecture flows from inside to outside, across levels, and through space. 19
SUCH THINGS AS LIGHT A N D W I N D O N LY H AV E MEANING WHEN THEY ARE INTRODUCED INSIDE A HOUSE IN A FORM CUT OFF FROM THE OUTSIDE WO R L D .
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WORK & DESIGN Tadao Ando ‘s most remarkable works are certainly the religious buildings. “I feel that the goal of most religious is similar, to make men happier and more at ease with themselves. I see no contradiction in my designing christian churches. “ Tadao Ando has build a number of christian chapels and other places of religion and contemplation. One of the most amazing church is also one of his simplest. The church of the light (Baraki, Osaka, 1988-89) is located in a residential suburb 40 km to the north-east of the center of Osaka. It consists from a rectangular concrete box crossed at 15 degrees angle by freestanding wall.
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Tadao Ando’s body of work is known for the creative use of natural light and for architectures that follow the natural forms of the landscape. The architect’s buildings are often characterized by complex three-dimensional circulation. These paths interweave between interior and exterior spaces formed both inside large-scale geometric shapes and in the spaces between them. His “Row House in Sumiyoshi”, a small two-story, cast-in-place concrete house completed in 1976, is an early Ando work which began to show elements of his characteristic style. It consists of three equally sized rectangular volumes: two enclosed volumes of interior spaces separated by an open courtyard. By nature of the courtyard’s position between the two interior volumes. The designs for Rokko Housing One and for Rokko Housing Two illustrate a range of issues in the traditional architectural vocabulary—the interplay of solid and void, the alternatives of open and closed, the contrasts of light and darkness.
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YO U C A N AC T UA L LY L I V E I N A H A R M O N I O U S , C LO S E C O N TAC T W I T H N AT U R E .
R E F E R E N C E S 9.
Tadao Ando, profile, (Wikipedia)
11.
Tadao Ando, picture, (andotadao.org)
12.
4x4 House, (architect biography)
14.
Museum (Design Boom)
18.
Tada Ando, profile (Design Boom)
22.
Church of Light (Wikipedia)
24.
Water Temple (Great Buildings)
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Printed from handset Centaur in an edition of 530 copies. Two copies are on handmade white paper, bond and signed by the author. The fonts in the book are Futura Medium and Garamond. Printed by Andrea RamĂrez Sabat at Imprento in Monterrey MĂŠxico. November 2011
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T I M E L E S S
U N I V E R S A L
VISIONARIES | TADAO ANDO
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