spirituality - lesson 28: shigeru ban

the kobe earthquake in japan 1995

'it is almost impossible in today's world for one person to invent something really new, but one person can use existing materials in an entirely different way.' shigeru ban shigeru ban started designing with cardboard 1986, when he used leftover cardboard tubes from a previous job to create a partition wall in an aalva alto exhibition (finland). he soon started experimenting with various paper concoctions and come up with a substance he now calls 'evolved wood'. ban found that recycled cardboard could be made water and fireproof and then molded into load bearing columns and trusses. by 1993 the japanese ministry declared the paper tubes as a structural material for permanent buildings. the beauty of the material is that is it cheap, easily attainable and has brilliant potential. since his first dabbling in paper constructions shigeru ban has created the 'paper arbor' in nagoya, a main hall for the odawara festival, part of a library in a private residence, issey miyake's studio, an art house, his own 'yamanakako' weekend house, the roof of the nemunoki children's art museum... what makes shigeru ban's work so important is not only the ecological progression of his materials but the humanitarian ends it can achieve. at 5:46am on tuesday 17th january 1995 kobe in japan was hit by the 'great hanshin' earthquake. lasting only 20 seconds, the kobe earthquake was the most

devastating one japan had seen for 70 years. it's shallow focus ripped apart roads and buildings and caused over 5000 deaths. one of the buildings to be hit by the earthquake was takaitori church in nagata-ku, kobe, which burnt down as a result. the only thing remaining from the fire was the church's jesus icon, marking the site which became a gathering place for the victims of the earthquake.

inside the church

the interior seats about 80 people

the chapel at night

lighting in the centre of the tent-like roof

the site in nagata-ku, kobe, after the church had been dismantled and sent to taiwan

architectural drawing of the paper church

model of the paper church, kobe, japan at the alvar alto: through the eyes of shigeru ban exhibition, barbican, london, 2007 bringing together the contributions of materials from others and money from

ban's own pocket, he designed an emergency church for the community of nagata-ku. together with 160 volunteers the paper church, as it is now referred to, was constructed in only 5 weeks. there wasn't time for long periods of design and adjustment, instead ban used the material he knew from previous projects cardboard. it was the perfect solution for providing a focal point for a neighborhood struck by disaster. due to the very nature of ban's evolved wood, the chapel was low cost and could be constructed without heavy machinery or expertise in engineering. 58 paper tubes (325mm in diameter, 14.8mm thick, and 5m high) arranged in an elliptical formation held up a tent like roof of white teflon fabric. shigeru ban based the design of the small chapel on bernini's church designs, with the space between the inner ellipse and the outer rectangle flooring forming a corridor by which to enter to the space. the tube columns were spaced closely together at one side of the chapel to for a backdrop for the alter, and opposite the tubes were placed wider apart to allow for continuity between the interior and exterior. the formation of these tubes drew the eyes naturally upwards, towards the ceiling. 'I think temporary structures for disaster victims must be beautiful and comfortable for people who have not only been physically but psychologically damaged as well.' - shigeru ban the image of the church is one of provocative elegance. the materials have a humble beauty, as has the design. the chapel itself has an almost transparent quality to it and with no solid walls it feels like the church is open to every one. ban, like other architects, admits he likes to design monuments, but this time is was not for the usual privileged people - instead people in need of hope and peace. the chapel unified a community and provided support during crisis and was supposed to be a temporary measure, remained standing for ten years. since kobe shigeru ban has established the voluntary architect's network (VAN), a non-governmental body aiming to encourage social consciousness in architecture. he has continued to use his paper log house technique to construct emergency refugee housing in rwanda and turkey.