Publishing house TASCHEN, renowned for its exceptional editions dedicated to art, architecture, and design, has just unveiled a new collector’s publication: “Tadao Ando. Sketches, Drawings and Architecture.” This 594-page, multilingual volume, created in close collaboration with the architect himself, is not only a catalog of his work but above all an intimate journey into the creative process of one of the most celebrated masters of modernism.
The book treats Ando’s hand-drawn sketches as his “architectural words.” For him, drawing is the first and purest medium of expressing ideas the moment when space begins to exist even before it is framed in mathematical proportions and structural diagrams. The publication gathers 750 sketches, drawings, models, and technical plans, tracing the evolution of the architect’s work from 1975 to the present day.
Through this, readers can follow the development of Ando’s style and philosophy from the ascetic Row House in Sumiyoshi, through the timeless Church of the Light, to monumental realizations such as the Chichu Art Museum on Naoshima Island and the Bourse de Commerce in Hangzhou, China.
What makes this publication stand out is not only the richness of its visual material but also Ando’s own reflections interwoven throughout its pages. In a new introduction and in accompanying commentary, the master shares his thoughts on the ethos of his work. His approach to architecture has always been centered on human experience, memory, and the power of place.
Ando believes that space should provoke emotions – awakening in people a sense of silence, focus, and harmony with their surroundings. In his hands, concrete, glass, and light are not cold materials but carriers of spiritual experience. The new TASCHEN book perfectly captures this balance between technique and the poetry of space.
Tadao Ando (born 1941 in Osaka) is a self-taught architect who initially dreamed of a career as a boxer, and who studied architecture by traveling the world and observing buildings firsthand. In 1969 he founded his own practice – Tadao Ando Architect & Associates – and quickly gained international recognition thanks to his unique aesthetic, rooted in minimalist forms, exposed concrete, and masterful use of light.
His projects, though simple in form, radiate spirituality and a profound respect for place. In 1995 he was awarded the Pritzker Prize, the most prestigious accolade in the world of architecture, cementing his status as one of the most outstanding creators of our time.
“Tadao Ando. Sketches, Drawings and Architecture” is not only an album for connoisseurs of architecture but also a document that allows us to understand the philosophy of the creator and his way of seeing the world. Each page testifies to the consistency with which Ando has developed his architectural language and proves that great ideas can be born from simple lines on paper.
The book is already available for pre-order through TASCHEN at the price of 200 USD, with its official release scheduled for November. It is a rare opportunity to own an intimate portrait of an architect whose projects have transformed the way we experience space.
Photos courtesy of Tadao Ando | Taschen
No comments:
Post a Comment