tadao ando was born in osaka, japan, in 1941. tadao ando was born in osaka, japan, in 1941. he was the first born of twin boys. he was the first born of twin boys. from ages 10 to 17 ando spent his time mostly making wood models from ages 10 to 17 ando spent his time mostly making wood models of ships, airplanes, and moulds, learning the craft from a carpenter of ships, airplanes, and moulds, learning the craft from a carpenter whose shop was across the street from his home. whose shop was across the street from his home. 19621962--1969, by his early twenties, ando had decided on a self1969, by his early twenties, ando had decided on a self--directed directed course of architectural study that took him throughout japan to visit course of architectural study that took him throughout japan to visit temples, shrines, and tea houses, to europe, africa and to the united temples, shrines, and tea houses, to europe, africa and to the united states. he was studying architecture by going to see actual buildings, states. he was studying architecture by going to see actual buildings, states. he was studying architecture by going to see actual buildings, states. he was studying architecture by going to see actual buildings, and reading books about works of architects such as le corbusier, and reading books about works of architects such as le corbusier, ludwig mies van der rohe, alvar aalto, frank lloyd wright, and louis kahn ludwig mies van der rohe, alvar aalto, frank lloyd wright, and louis kahn before returning to osaka at the age of 28 to open his own studio, before returning to osaka at the age of 28 to open his own studio, tadao ando architect & associates. tadao ando architect & associates. tadao ando has been a visiting professor at tokyo university, yale, tadao ando has been a visiting professor at tokyo university, yale, harvard, and columbia. harvard, and columbia.

some architectural projects:1976 row house (azuma house) sumiyoshi, osaka1983 ROCCO housing I, kobe, hyogo1988 church of the light, osaka1989 childrens' museum, himeji, hyogo1991 water temple, awaji island, hyogo1992 japan pavilion expo '92, seville; naoshima contemporary art museum, kagawa1991-1993 vitra conference pavilion, weil am rhein; factory building for the company benetton in treviso, italy1995 meditation space, unesco, paris1998 toto seminar house, 1998 toto seminar house, awaji, hyogo; hiroki oda museum, gamo-gun, shiga1999 rokko housing III, kobe, hyogo2000 ‘fabrica’ (benetton research center), treviso, italy;awaji island project, awaji, hyogo2001 theater for giorgio armani, milan, italy2002: the modern art museum of fort worth, texasnext to construction: museumfondation pinault, paris

Tadao Ando's

"Church of the

Light" is an

excellent test

environment for

global illumination

algorithms. A large

cross set in one

end of the building

admits direct

sunlight, and

CHURCH OF LIGHT

sunlight, and

indirect sunlight is

reflected into other

windows on one

side of the church.

PLAN OF KOSHINO

KOSHINO

As with a number of his houses and several of his museums, Ando's

Koshino House makes extensive use of the underground space,with

about half of the house underground. Simply comprised of two

rectangular volumes of different size arranged in parallel, the two

parts are connected by a corridor, and flank a courtyard. On request

of the customer, an atelier ( defined by a by a quarter-circle wall ),

was later added on. Though the room is primarily underground, light

comes in through narrow slits in walls and ceilings, in addition to comes in through narrow slits in walls and ceilings, in addition to

some large windows in the living room facing the outdoor court. This

house is a lovely example of Tadao Ando's masterful skill at

displaying both light and space

KOSHINO

CHURCHCHURCH

ON

WATER

This Christian church is located at Tomamu, on Japan's northern island of

Hokkaido. Sited in a large clearing in a forest of beech trees, the sloping site falls

gently towards the nearby river. Ando's simple architecture seems right at home in

the tranquil wilderness, bringing a very natural sense of awe to the religious

setting. The Church on the Water was designed 1985-1988, and was built in mid-

1988.

Ando considers

Rokko the best

expression of his

ideas for

interweaving grids,

geometric forms,

solid space, empty

space, controlled

light, darkness and

harmony with the

ROCCO HOUSING

harmony with the

natural environment

Rokko Housing was one of Ando's most

important housing projects. The project

was constructed in two phases: the first

having twenty units ( each with a terrace

but differing in size and layout ), and the

second comprising of 50 units, which was

completed in 1993. While the units appear

to be uniform on the outside, each one

has a unique interior. The apartment

complex was built in two stages, 10 years complex was built in two stages, 10 years

apart. Built of reinforced concrete around

a rigid frame, Rokko Housing is framed by

forest and hillside. The units are

embedded in the side of a sixty degree

sloping hillside with a panoramic view of

Osaka Bay. Some amenities include a

swimming pool and a rooftop plaza. Ando

received Japan's Cultural Design Prize in

1983 for this project.

FABRICA

TREVISO ,

ITALY

SUNTORY MUSEUM

DAY-LIGHT MUSEUM

NAOSHIMA CONTEMPORARY ART

MUSEUM,KAGAWA,JAPAN