Tadao Ando is a Japanese Architect. He was never trained in Architecture in college. Before becoming an architect, he worked as a truck driver and a boxer. After high school, he travelled around the world and is a self-taught architect.
He won the Pritzker Prize in 1995. This is what was said about him:
…In spite of his consistent use of materials and the elements of pillar, wall, and vault, his different combinations of these elements always prove exciting and dynamic. His design concepts and materials have linked international Modernism to the Japanese tradition of aesthetics. His dedication and understanding of the importance of craftsmanship have earned him the appellation of builder as well as architect…
In his acceptance speech, Tadao said:
…Architecture is deemed complete only upon the intervention of the human that experiences it. In other words, architectural space becomes alive only in correspondence with the human presence that perceives it in our contemporary culture, where all of us are subjected to intense exterior stimulation, especially by the electronic environment, the role of architectural space as a spiritual shelter is crucial…
Below are some of his masterpieces. Some travel to various parts of Japan just to visit his works, such is his fame, skill and mystique.
©Tadao Ando Architect & Associates
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