GALLERY・MA

Architect. Born in 1941 in Gyeongseong (present-day Seoul). Graduated from the Department of Architecture in the Faculty of Engineering at the University of Tokyo in 1965. In 1971, he established his own office, Urban Robot (URBOT), which was renamed to Toyo Ito & Associates, Architects in 1979. His important works include the Sendai Mediatheque (2001), TOD’S Omotesando Building (2004), Tama Art University Library (Hachioji campus) (2007), 2009 World Games Main Stadium (Kaohsiung National Stadium) (Taiwan R.O.C.) (2009), Toyo Ito Museum of Architecture (2011), Imabari, etc. Projects under development include the Multimedia Complex on the site of Gifu University’s School of Medicine (tentative), Taichung Metropolitan Opera House (Taiwan R.O.C.), etc. He has been awarded the Architectural Institute of Japan Prize (1986, 2003), Golden Lion for Lifetime Achievement from the 8th International Architecture Exhibition “NEXT” at the Venice Biennale (2002), Royal Institute of British Architects Royal Gold Medal (2006), Asahi Prize (2010), Praemium Imperiale (2010), etc. His writings include Kaze no henyotai (The transfiguration of wind) (Seidosha), Toso suru kenchiku (Blurring architecture) (Seidosha), Kenchiku no daitenkan (The great transformation of architecture) (Chikuma Shobo, co-written by Shinichi Nakazawa), Ano hi kara no kenchiku (Architecture from that day) (Shueisha Shinsho), etc.

Architect. Born in Osaka Prefecture in 1969. Graduated from the Department of Architecture at Tokyo University of the Arts in 1992. Received a master’s degree from the Yale School of Architecture in 1996. Worked at Jun Aoki and Associates until 2000. Established the Office of Kumiko Inui in 2000. Currently serving as an associate professor at Tokyo University of the Arts. Her important works include the Kataokadai Kindergarten Renovation (2001), Jurgen Lehl Marunouchi (2003), Dior Ginza (2004), Apartment I (2007; awarded Japan Architect Prize), Small House H (2009; awarded Tokyo Society of Architects & Building Engineers Prize), Flower Shop H (2009; awarded Japan Federation of Architects & Building Engineers Association Prize and the Good Design Gold Award), and Kyoai Commons (2012). Her published works include Episodes (INAX, 2008) and Asakusa no uchi (Home of Asakusa) (Heibonsha, 2011), etc.

Architect. Born in Hokkaido in 1971. Graduated from the Department of Architecture in the Faculty of Engineering at the University of Tokyo. He established Sou Fujimoto Architects in 2000. His important works include House N (2008), Musashino Art University Museum & Library (2010), etc. He was awarded the Japan Institute of Architects (JIA) Award (2008), the grand prize in the World Architecture Festival Private House Category (2008), first prize in the Taiwan Tower International Competition (2011), and the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) International Fellowship (2012). His publications include Primitive Future (INAX Publishing), Sou Fujimoto Reader (A.D.A. EDITA Tokyo), etc.

Architect. Born in Osaka Prefecture in 1971. Graduated from the Department of Architecture in the Faculty of Engineering at Kyoto University in 1994. Received a master’s degree from the Kyoto University Graduate School of Engineering in 1997. After working at Toyo Ito & Associates, he established akihisa hirata architecture office in 2005. He is currently a specially-appointed associate professor at Tohoku University and a part-time lecturer at Kyoto University and Tokyo University. His important works include Masuya (2006), alp (2010), Bloomberg Pavilion (2011), Coil (2011) and Photosynthesis (2012). He has been awarded the SD Review Asakura Award (2004), 19th Japan Institute of Architects Newcomer Prize, 2nd prize in the Kaohsiung Maritime Cultural & Popular Music Center International Competition (2011), Elita Design Award (2012), 1st prize in the Kamaishi City Tenjincho Disaster Recovery Public Housing Proposal Competition (2012), etc. His writings include Tangling (INAX, 2011), etc.

Photographer. Born in Rikuzentakata, Iwate Prefecture in 1958. Studied under Kiyoji Otsuji in the School of Art and Design at the University of Tsukuba. Received a master’s degree from the University of Tsukuba Graduate School of Art & Design in 1984. He has since been based in Tokyo, where he has produced a series of works focused on the relationship between nature, the city, and photography. He has participated in numerous solo and group exhibitions both in Japan and abroad. In 2001, he exhibited his work in the Japan Pavilion at the Venice Biennale with Masato Nakamura and Yukio Fujimoto (commissioner: Eriko Osaka). He exhibited photographs of his devastated hometown Rikuzentakata taken after the tsunami disaster in the “Natural Stories” exhibition held at the Tokyo Metropolitan Museum of Photography in 2011. The exhibit travelled to the Huis Marseille Museum for Photography (Amsterdam) and the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art (SFMOMA). His books include Kesengawa (Kawade Shobo Shinsha), etc.