AAF Newsletter | Architecture Lecture Series 217 [nie - ichi - nana] Features Shigeru Ban as Guest Speaker

AAF通信│Architecture Lecture Series 217

Shigeru Ban Appears as Guest Speaker

The "Architecture Lecture Series 217" is a talk session held every two months at 7 PM, hosted by architects Ryuchi Ashizawa and Takamasa Hiranuma, who are based in Osaka, inviting guest architects. This time, architect Shigeru Ban will be the guest speaker, and the event will be held on October 10 (Wednesday) from 7 PM at Honmachi Garden City in Chuo-ku, Osaka.

Text by YANAKA Tomomi

Ban's Philosophy on Housing Issues for the Vulnerable

AAF (NPO Art and Architect Festival) aims to foster the development of art and social environments through architecture. The "Architecture Lecture Series 217," a talk session that garners significant support from students and young architects, explores the inclinations of guests, with two architects of the same age, Ashizawa and Hiranuma, engaging in stimulating exchanges. This installment features Shigeru Ban, an internationally active architect known for his numerous projects for disaster victims.

AAF Communication│Architecture Lecture Series 217 [nie - ichi - nana] Shigeru Ban Appears as Guest Speaker 02

Born in Tokyo in 1957, Ban graduated from Seikei High School before earning a degree from The Cooper Union School of Architecture. In 1985, he established Shigeru Ban Architects. He has shown a strong interest in housing issues for the vulnerable, creating shelters for refugees in Rwanda, and in 1995, he founded VAN (Voluntary Architects Network), an NGO for which he serves as representative. He also worked as a consultant for the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees from 1995 to 2000.

In the town of Onagawa, Miyagi Prefecture, which suffered devastating damage in the Great East Japan Earthquake last year, he constructed a three-story temporary housing complex using shipping containers. Furthermore, following the Great Hanshin-Awaji Earthquake in 1995, he not only built temporary housing but also proposed an innovative "Paper Church" made of "paper tubes" for a damaged church, which garnered significant attention. His major works include the "Japan Pavilion at Expo 2000 Hanover," "Nicolas G. Hayek Center," and "Centre Pompidou-Metz," and he is one of the world's most acclaimed architects, boasting numerous awards.

We highly recommend attending this event to hear Ban's philosophy and approach to architecture.

Architecture Lecture Series 217
Date│October 10 (Wednesday)
Time│Doors Open 18:00 / Start 19:00 / End 20:30
Reception: 20:30–21:30
Guest Speaker│Shigeru Ban (Architect)
Venue│Honmachi Garden City
1F Hall, The St. Regis Osaka, 3-6-4 Honmachi, Chuo-ku, Osaka
Registration│Via website
www.217.aaf.ac
Capacity│200 people. Limited same-day participation may be possible. Numbered tickets will be issued on a first-come, first-served basis from 18:00 on the day of the event.

NPO Art and Architect Festival
www.aaf.khaa.jp/217/