Tadao Ando: Architect of Light

Design Philosophy

Ando is an award-winning Japanese architect best known for his use of light, concrete and the integration of nature.

His expert use of these techniques in combination with Japanese aesthetics has created timeless architectural pieces.

Ando’s material of choice is concrete. He uses concrete to create enclosed areas that allow people to have their personal spaces. The concrete’s bareness reinforces Ando’s belief in the Shinto concept of emptiness,

which he refers to as “a space to be filled”. This meaning he allows the visitors to give meaning to and fill the spaces he creates.

Nature is a crucial element in Ando’s work. Its use is inspired by the presence that nature once held in traditional Japanese homes.

His use of nature, such as the manipulation of light, enhances how visitors experience his work across a variety of architectural forms.

Portrait of Tadao Ando

"I don't believe architecture has to speak too much. It should remain silent and let nature in the guise of sunlight and wind."

— Tadao Ando

Career Timeline

  • 1941 Born in Osaka, Japan
  • 1958 Started professional boxing
  • 1962 Began world wide travel to learn architectural history and techniques
  • 1969 Founded "Tadao Ando Architect and Associates" in Osaka
  • 1973 Completed Azuma House (住吉の長屋), his first notable project
  • 1990 Alongside a growing reputation, Ando begins accepting international commissions
  • 1992 Winner of the Calsberg Architectural Prize
  • 1995 Winner of the Pritzker Prize
  • 1996 Winner of the Praemium Imperiale Prize for Architecture
  • 1997 Became the Professor of Architecture at Tokyo University
  • 2002 Winner of the American Institute of Architects Gold Medal
  • 2007 Completed 21_21 Design Sight Museum in Tokyo
  • 2014 Completed Poly Grand Theater in Shanghai
  • 2020 Completed He Art Museum in Shunde, China

Influences on the Architectural Field

  • Light Manipulation

    Ando manipulates natural light by creating cutouts in his concrete walls. These cutouts allow natural light to enter and create arbitrary shadow patterns that decorate his concrete surfaces.

  • Intersection with Nature

    Ando's architecture are intimate with the nature surrounding it. By using materials, nature and space expertly, he is able to create buildings that thrive in the nature around it. The majority of Ando’s work uses nature as a major element. He builds around nature, never reconstructing it. He often considers how he can emphasize the presence of nature in his architecture.

  • Changing Society

    The simplicity of Ando's buildings emphasizes the Shinto religion's belief in emptiness. His buildings encourage people to give them meaning, and vice-versa.

  • Tranquil Spaces

    Ando's work is known to embody minimalism and simplicity — through this, visitors are able to enjoy the space as a moment of peace and solitude, like its their own personal space.

Tadao Ando's signature concrete

Signature Concrete

Ando’s material of choice is smooth concrete which he uses to create enclosed areas that allow people to have their own “personal space”. The concrete’s bareness reinforces Ando’s concept of emptiness, which he refers to as “a space to be filled”. The spaces he creates are given meaning by its visitors.

“I create enclosed spaces by means of thick concrete walls. The reason is to create a place for the individual, a zone for oneself within society. When the external factors of a city's environment require the wall to be without openings, the interior must be especially full and satisfying.”

—Tadao Ando

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