Toyo Ito (ARCHITECTURE) - Softcover

Toyo Ito (b. 1941) is one of the most important Japanese architects working today, and has grown to be one of the most influential in the world. He is famous for ambitious and stunning projects such as the Sendai Mediatheque, TOD'S Omotesando, Tama Art University Library, and Island City Central Park, all of which demonstrate his ability to use materials in surprising and innovative ways, with revolutionary high-tech organic geometries. In this unique volume Toyo Ito presents a personal selection of 31 of his projects divided into 14 thematic sections, all with introductions in which Ito looks at some of the influences on and trends in his thought. The eminent architect Riken Yamamoto provides an introduction, while the internationally respected architecture critics Dana Buntrock and Taro Igarashi contribute exploratory essays.

Toyo Ito started his own studio, Urban Robot (urbot) in 1971, which became Toyo Ito & Associates in 1979. His remarkable work has won many awards, including the Brunner Memorial Prize in 2000 and the RIBA Gold Medal in 2006. Dana Buntrock is a well-known expert on Japanese architecture and teaches at the University of California, Berkeley. Taro Igarashi teaches architecture at Tohoku University, Sendai, and is widely respected for his writing on design, the arts, and philosophy. Riken Yamamoto, architect, is a contemporary of Toyo Ito and also recognized worldwide for his architectural innovation. Among his extraordinary recent projects are Jian Wai SOHO, Beijing (2003) and the Yokosuka Museum of Art (2007).