Tadao Ando: Endeavors. An great exhibition on Japanese architect

Opening this week in The National Art Center in Tokyo, “Tadao Ando: Endeavors,” is an exhibition centered on the life and works of Japanese architect Tadao Ando. Ando's self-taught, minimalist architecture is associated with bare geometric forms that are free of ornamentation, but rich in depth and character. The former boxer turned architect brings life into the simple lines of his projects through integrating natural elements such as light, water, and wind. His structures, for the most part, utilize widely well know materials such as concrete, steel, and glass.

Church on the Water (1988) Yufutsu-gun, Hokkaido. Photograph by Yoshio Shiratori. Courtesy of The National Art Center Tokyo.

The exhibition spaces are divided ahead through six sections titled “ORIGINS/HOUSES”, “LIGHT”, “VOID SPACES”, “READING THE SITE”, “BUILDING UPON WHAT EXISTS, CREATING THAT WHICH DOES NOT EXIST”, and “NURTURING”. This exhibition sheds light on the great trail of endeavors he has left behind him, reflecting on nearly half a century of Ando's work. Each section unfolds various aspects of his projects including his use of light and void spaces, his structures' integration with their natural environment, and his involvement in social initiatives.

"Tadao Ando endeavors" shows us more than 200 models, sketches, and drawings of some of Ando’s most popular projects in Japan, such as the Row House (1976), the Church on the Water (1988), and the Church of the Light (1989). Additionally, the exhibition demonstrates Ando's passion for working with existing architecture by showcasing his series of restoration projects, including the restoration of the Punta della Dogana contemporary art museum in Venice, Italy.

Tadao Ando, who is known for his unconventional résumé as a former professional boxer turned self-taught architect, made a start to his architectural career in 1969 as an “urban guerrilla”. The exhibition begins with a brief narration of Ando's life a few years before becoming an architect, and goes on to describe how he arrived the architecture, and how he has since been constantly delivering novel designs that challenge our visions about architecture.

On view through Dec. 18, “Tadao Ando: Endeavors” is open to the public at the National Art Center in Tokyo.

Description of the exhibition

How did this exceptional architect develop his exquisite sensibility and great ability to take action? What is the source of his energy? This section lays out the history of Tadao Ando’s activities through a presentation showcasing travel sketches he made before he became an architect and the designs of his atelier, which he reworked through a series of renovations. A part of his personal workspace has been recreated at full scale as it appears today to provide a glimpse into the everyday life of the architect.

SECTION I: ORIGINS/HOUSES

For Tadao Ando, the origins of architecture lie in the house, which is a receptacle for the fundamental human act of dwelling. It was through designing houses that Ando perfected the basic form of his signature architecture characterized by exposed cast-in-place concrete, simple geometric forms, and symbiosis with nature. This section features a selection from the more than 100 residential projects Ando has designed, including his most recognizable works from the early years of his career and large-scale works he has recently designed for sites overseas.

SECTION II: LIGHT

The spaces Tadao Ando aims to realize only truly come into being when nature breathes light and wind onto the blank canvases he creates with simple forms shaved down to the bare minimum. This is most palpable in his works of church architecture. This section is dedicated to introducing his most representative sanctuary spaces and features a full-scale replica of the Church of the Light that has been built as a special installation in the open-air exhibition area.

SECTION III: VOID SPACES

There is one goal that self-proclaimed “urban guerrilla” Tadao Ando has always attempted to achieve with his projects in cities, and that is to deliberately create “yohaku”, or “void spaces”, where people can come together. This section illustrates the process of Ando’s attempts to achieve this goal through presenting a comprehensive genealogical record of his works of urban architecture, which range from his early small-scale commercial buildings to complexes built after the year 2000, such as Omotesando Hills, the Tokyu-Toyoko Line Shibuya Station, and the Shanghai Poly Grand Theater.

SECTION IV: READING THE SITE

Tadao Ando began making buildings embedded in rich natural settings in the late 1980s. Since then, he has shaped beautiful, bold landscapes with his work in places around the world. These works share a common theme in that they are integrated into their surroundings and augment the unique character of their sites. This section presents a genealogical record of Ando’s architectural work in natural environments and features an immersive installation of the Naoshima Project, which he has developed over the span of three decades.

SECTION V: BUILDING UPON WHAT EXISTS, CREATING THAT WHICH DOES NOT EXIST

Tadao Ando has always considered the theme of revitalizing historic buildings as an exciting challenge. This section illustrates a genealogical record of his work in architectural preservation and revitalization through a presentation that includes his early unrealized projects, works he has realized within Japan, his series of projects in the historic city of Venice centered on the Punta della Dogana, and also his latest project currently in progress in the heart of Paris.

SECTION VI: NURTURING

One reason why Tadao Ando is called a unique architect is because he is actively involved in social initiatives that go beyond the realm of architecture. This section illustrates Ando’s belief that “building-making = environment-making” through documentary videos that capture his environmental improvement projects for areas around his completed buildings, community development work in his hometown of Osaka, and ecological regeneration programs in coastal areas of the Seto Inland Sea and Tokyo Bay.

Model of the Naoshima Project, Naoshima, Kagawa. Courtesy of The National Art Center Tokyo.

Row House in Sumiyoshi 1976 Osaka, Osaka. Photograph by Shinkenchiku-sha. Courtesy of The National Art Center Tokyo.

A portrait taken in 1969 when, at 28, Tadao Ando established his architectural office. Courtesy of The National Art Center Tokyo.

© Palazzo Grassi SpA. Foto: ORCH,orsenigo_chemollo / Punta della Dogana (2009) Venice, Italy Photo: © Palazzo Grassi SpA. Foto: ORCH,orsenigo_chemollo. Courtesy of The National Art Center Tokyo.

Koshino House (1981/1984) Ashiya, Hyogo. Photograph Shinkenchiku-sha. Courtesy of The National Art Center Tokyo.

Church of the Light 1989 Ibaraki, Osaka. Photograph by Mitsuo Matsuoka. Courtesy of The National Art Center Tokyo.

4 x 4 House (2003) Kobe, Hyogo. Photograph by Mitsuo Matsuoka. Courtesy of The National Art Center Tokyo.

Picture Book Museum “Outside Over There” (2005) Iwaki-shi, Fukushima. Photograph by Mitsuo Matsuoka. Courtesy of The National Art Center Tokyo.

Benesse House 1992/1995 Naoshima, Kagawa. Photograph by Mitsuo Matsuoka. Courtesy of The National Art Center Tokyo.

Benesse House Oval (1995) Naoshima, Kagawa. Photograph by Mitsumasa Fujitsuka. Courtesy of The National Art Center Tokyo.

Shanghai Poly Grand Theatre by Tadao Ando. Photograph © Yueqi Jazzy Li

Tadao Ando. Photograph by Nobuyoshi Araki. Courtesy of The National Art Center Tokyo.

Rendering. New François Pinault`s museum by Tadao Ando, in Paris. Image courtesy of Artefactory Lab; Tadao Ando Architect & Associates; NeM/Niney & Marca Architectes; Agence Pierre-Antoine Gatier. Image Courtesy of Collection Pinault, Paris.

Tadao Ando in Church of the Light. Photograph by Nobuyoshi Araki

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More information

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Dates

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September 27 (Wed) – December 18 (Mon), 2017

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Venue

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The National Art Center, Tokyo [Kokuritsu-Shin-Bijyutsukan] (Roppongi, Tokyo) Japan Japón. Special Exhibition Gallery 1E + Open-Air Exhibition Area

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Organized by

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The National Art Center, Tokyo; TBS; The Asahi Shimbun. Co-organized by Tadao Ando Exhibition Committee. With the support of Tokyo Society of Architects & Building Engineers; TBS RADIO, Inc.

TADAO ANDO

Tadao Ando was born in Osaka, Japan in 1941. A self-educated architect, he spent time in nearby Kyoto and Nara, studying firsthand the great monuments of traditional Japanese architecture. Between 1962 and 1969 he traveled to the United States, Europe, and Africa, learning about Western architecture, history, and techniques. His studies of both traditional Japanese and modern architecture had a profound influence on his work and resulted in a unique blend of these rich traditions.

In 1969 Ando established Tadao Ando Architect and Associates in Osaka. He is an honorary fellow in the architecture academies of six countries; he has been a visiting professor at Yale, Columbia, and Harvard Universities; and in 1997, he became professor of architecture at Tokyo University.

Ando has received numerous architecture awards, including the prestigious Pritzker Architecture Prize in 1995, the 2002 American Institute of Architects Gold Medal, and also in 2002, the Kyoto Prize for lifetime achievement in the arts and philosophy. His buildings can be seen in Japan, Europe, the United States, and India.

In fall 2001, following up on the comprehensive master plan commissioned from Cooper, Robertson & Partners in the 1990s and completed in 2001, Tadao Ando was selected to develop an architectural master plan for the Sterling and Francine Clark Art Institute to expand its buildings and enhance its 140-acre campus.