Translating the works of Japanese architect Tadao Ando
Walking through Naoshima—an island dotted with the works of Japanese architect Tadao Ando—is a revelation in the art of harmonious design

Japanese architecture is best described in three terms: minimal presence, sensitivity to context and thorough detailing. Nowhere are these philosophies better understood than in the prolific works of Tadao Ando, winner of the prestigious Pritzker Architecture Prize in 1995, and by far the most well-known Japanese architect of the contemporary era. Ando is largely self-taught, through apprenticeships and field visits. His repertoire of projects spans a spectrum of scales, typologies and programmes, including single-family homes, cultural institutions and religious structures.

A delightful example of Ando’s genius is the Church of the Light near Osaka where two intersecting cuts in a concrete wall form the iconographic imagery of the crucifix, and which comes to life as daylight filters through.

But it is perhaps in Naoshima, an otherwise obscure island in Japan’s Seto Inland Sea, that Ando’s architectural mastery can be most thoughtfully appreciated.

The tiny island’s relatively cut-off location—it takes over 4 hours from Tokyo, with transfers from a bullet train to a local train to a ferry—and its scenic setting make it an alluring enough ground for experimental work. Enriching the experience, however, is the close integration of Ando’s architecture with the art that it houses. For over the last three decades, the island has been revitalized as an art destination by Benesse Holdings, a Japanese education and publishing conglomerate. Since 1992, Ando has lent his expertise to as many as eight structures on the island, including hotels, museums and galleries.

Walking around the island during a day trip a few months ago, we came face to face with Ando’s characteristic gestures. The foremost is the finesse with which he harnesses the potential of concrete—shaping and slicing it to create dramatic variations. In a nod to the pristine landscape of the island, a number of structures are situated underground—all the galleries of the Chichu Art Museum, for instance—yet Ando manages to play skilfully with natural light and create spaces that never fail to surprise even the most sceptical of visitors.

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FIRST PUBLISHED06.10.2017 | 10:30 AM IST
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