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Ando: Complete Works 1975-2014
The Tadao touch: Ando's complete works to date 1975-2014 Philippe Starck describes him as a "mystic in a country which is no longer mystic." Philip Drew calls his buildings "land art" as they "struggle to emerge from the earth." He is the only architect to have won the discipline's four most prestigious prizes the Pritzker, Carlsberg, Praemium Imperiale, and Kyoto Prize. This thoroughly updated 2014 edition of the Ando monograph celebrates the completely unique aethetic of one of the world's most acclaimed architects. Spanning his entire career, including such stunning new projects as the Hansol Museum in South Korea and Teatrino in Venice, Italy, it explores his unprecedented use of concrete, wood, water, light, space, and natural forms. A testimony to the diversity and global reach of the Ando touch, featured designs include award-winning private homes, churches, museums, apartment complexes, and cultural spaces throughout Japan, as well as in France, Italy, Spain, and the USA.
- GenresArchitecture
720 pages, Hardcover
First published August 1, 2014
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Displaying 1 of 1 review
May 12, 2016
The Shadow Boxer-
Tadao Ando conquered the world with his cast-in-place exposed concrete buildings. But the truth is it’s not concrete that made him special because it’s one of the most common material in construction. Nor the ability of smooth casting because his predecessor Louis Kahn did an unsurpassable job of making it smoother than baby skin. I believe his success has to do with his instinct for mass and volume, light and shadow. More importantly, he understands emptiness. His embracement of emptiness has a direct relationship with his struggle; being an adopted son (by his grandmother), a former professional boxer, and a self-taught architect with no college education he’s no stranger to violence, hopelessness, and disillusion. One can sense the darkness, isolation, and disenchantment in his architecture, and yet, there were powerful elements of hope such as dim sliver of light that leaked through the gap, or a view that takes you to the world beyond. The elements are so overwhelming they eventually liberate one’s soul.
The book is a 2014 revised addition to 2008 first edition. It contains roughly two-third of Ando’s total projects. Although it left out some but it’s comprehensive enough for one to understand his work throughout his career. The massive 720 pages volume also contained beautiful large color photographs of the architecture, which is a trademark of Taschen. The drawings and writings are general, but for the quality I received versus the price I paid that I really have no complaint. However, if you are a diehard fan, a rare breed who reads text, or missing Church On The Water really bothers you then I'll recommend Francesco Dal Co’s volume 1, and Toto’s 4 volumes series.
Below are images I took of the book for my Amazon review, please see link below and let me know if they are helpful to you (by pressing yes or no button), thank you for your comment and support:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/review/R3PFO...
Tadao Ando conquered the world with his cast-in-place exposed concrete buildings. But the truth is it’s not concrete that made him special because it’s one of the most common material in construction. Nor the ability of smooth casting because his predecessor Louis Kahn did an unsurpassable job of making it smoother than baby skin. I believe his success has to do with his instinct for mass and volume, light and shadow. More importantly, he understands emptiness. His embracement of emptiness has a direct relationship with his struggle; being an adopted son (by his grandmother), a former professional boxer, and a self-taught architect with no college education he’s no stranger to violence, hopelessness, and disillusion. One can sense the darkness, isolation, and disenchantment in his architecture, and yet, there were powerful elements of hope such as dim sliver of light that leaked through the gap, or a view that takes you to the world beyond. The elements are so overwhelming they eventually liberate one’s soul.
The book is a 2014 revised addition to 2008 first edition. It contains roughly two-third of Ando’s total projects. Although it left out some but it’s comprehensive enough for one to understand his work throughout his career. The massive 720 pages volume also contained beautiful large color photographs of the architecture, which is a trademark of Taschen. The drawings and writings are general, but for the quality I received versus the price I paid that I really have no complaint. However, if you are a diehard fan, a rare breed who reads text, or missing Church On The Water really bothers you then I'll recommend Francesco Dal Co’s volume 1, and Toto’s 4 volumes series.
Below are images I took of the book for my Amazon review, please see link below and let me know if they are helpful to you (by pressing yes or no button), thank you for your comment and support:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/review/R3PFO...
Displaying 1 of 1 review