4 of the most influential
ARCHITECTS
SB
Shigeru Ban
Aesthetics of Shigeru Bans Architecture
Ban stance as Japans most prominent
architect is supported by his ability to
establish his own unique style inthe age
where the infusion of information and
manifestation of the multitude of styles
often defineJapanese contemporary
architecture.
His design philosophy is to create uniquely
free and openspace with concrete
rationality of structure and construction
method. Ban creates entirely new s paces
using such materials aspaper tubes.
He reexamines the existing materials
inrecycled forms and uses them in ways
no one had ever thought of previously.
Thus, he addresses environmental
concerns and alludes to the Japanese
spiritual preference for natural housing
materials.“In Japan, where the visual
structure is usually so loud, a seemingly
endless cacophony of signs and symbols,
thecalm simplicity of Bans projects
speakswith tremendous strength. Silence
is the powerful voice Ban uses.” Paper
Pavillion.
Curtain Wall House Shigeru Ban is
regarded by most to be one of the
worlds most innovative architects, using
environmentally-friendly materials that are
easy to transport, store and recycle. Ban
began to experiment with unconventional
materials in 1986, when he used paper,
instead of wood, to build an Alvar Aalto
exhibition display.
False facade Ban played with the idea
of a glass curtain wall system, and took
the terminology quite literally when he
decided to envelop the exterior of the
house in conventional domestic drapery.
He uses anything from beer cases to
cardboard,to paper tubes to tenting
fabric. The Curtain Wall House is one of
his well-known projects that that a part
of an exhibition the Museum of Modern
Art in 1999 called The Un-Private House.
True to the title of the exhibition, the
Curtain Wall House embodies openness
and transparency between interior
and exterior. Billowing curtains are the
only means of providing privacy to the
residents of the house. Without the fabric,
the house becomes completely exposed
to the busy street.“Mies invented the glass
curtain wall, but I just used a curtain”Shigeru Ban
Though it may seem that the drapery is
hanging freely at the exterior, behind it
there is a series of sliding glass doors
that provide protection from unfavorable
weather conditions, yet still create a
feeling of transparency.
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The curtain that Ban uses drapes over the
two story structure and acts as a facade
wall when drawn over the structure.
When closed during the day, the curtain
still filters in the daylight into the living
areas of the house,traditional Japanese
rice paper functioning like the rice-paper
screens, alluding to screens Japanese
architecture. When pulled back, the
curtain allow the air to enter the interior
space freely, and are excellent as a
passive cooling mechanism.