 Light and Tadao Ando

Architecture.
“In Tadao Ando’s architecture, I see an extraordinary ability to transform ‘heavy’ materials
such as metal and concrete into something truly exciting. I very much like his use of light,
a fundamental element that helps shape the character of spaces” – Giorgio Armani

Tadao Ando status rivals that of architects Zaha Hadid, Frank Lloyd Wright and Le
Corbusier, the man who sparked his initial interest in architecture when he was in his early
20s. Ando’s touch-and-go existence between modernism and postmodernism is known
as ‘critical regionalism’, reflecting the culture of a region through its design and
materials where aesthetic ornamentation is only applied in a meaningful way. By
balancing aspects of modernism with Japanese principals of design, Ando has been able to
carve an impressive name for himself in the architecture world and has received many awards
throughout his career, such as the Pritzker Prize for architecture in 1995, considered the
highest accolade in the eld. Since setting up shop in 1969, Ando has designed more than 200
buildings. Indeed, his philosophy and extreme precision inspired Giorgio Armani to
commission him to design the Armani Theatre (Teatro Armani) in Milan, in 2001 – the
first example of recycled architecture in Milan.

Much was discarded in the postwar Japanese houses in the name of rationalism:

1)Contact with nature,

2)The tangible aspects of life,
3)The rays of the sun,
4)The flow of the wind,
5)The sound of the rain,
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 6)The body and spirit.
7)The Inner selves rather than focus on the
outward visual form and shape is just one
example of how the Japanese philosophy of Zen
manifests itself in his work.
8) The Power of Simplicity.

“Creating a new space that people haven’t

experienced before, that stays with them or
gives them a dream for the future, that’s the
kind of structure that Ando seeks to create.”

He is continually striving to create and surpass what has already been created: “In museums
you never have pillars to interfere with your site,” he says The architect is a guide, creating
strategic pathways through his buildings that allow its visitor to consider the shapes and
forms without distraction. His meticulous use of space and his emphasis on the physical
experience of architecture is a large part of his notoriety for visual simplicity and
sensitivity to the surrounding environment.

Benesse House Oval, 1995, Naoshima, Japan. Photo Mitsumasa Fujitsuka

visual simplicity and sensitivity to the surrounding environment.

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For Ando, architecture is at its best when it allows people to experience the beauty of nature.
“Architecture is not a self-independent individuality. In my opinion, it comes to existence
only through relation to various elements of the surroundings like water, green, light or
wind,” he says. This continuity of indoor and outdoor space is a principle typical of
Japanese culture and Ando innovates this philosophy by incorporating a modernist
touch. Exhibited at the Silos under the theme Landscape Genesis, his original work at the
Makomanai Takino Cemetery in Sapporo framed a 44-foot-tall Buddha in a lavender hill.
“The aim of this project was to build a prayer hall that would enhance the attractiveness of a
stone Buddha sculpted 15 years ago. The site is a gently sloping hill on 180 hectares of lush
land belonging to a cemetery,” Nature is incorporated into his designs to the proximity of
water and greenery. These two elements, light and nature, resided near him and led to the
creation of buildings like Church of the Light [and] Church on the Water. His iconic Church
of the Light, built in 1989 and located just outside Osaka, is a prime example of the power of
simplicity and is exhibited at the Silos as one of the Primitive Shapes of Space. Composed of
a cement box perforated by light coming through a spliced cruciform, it’s a work that Ando
once said embodied the key principles of his architecture practice.
“I believe that the emotional power in architecture comes from how we introduce
natural elements into the architectural space. Therefore, rather than making elaborate
forms, I choose simple geometries to draw delicate yet dramatic plays of light and
shadow in space.”

This guiding philosophy is ever present in Ando’s work and use of concrete. What
distinguishes his use of this common material is the smooth, almost reflective finish he’s able
to achieve. Combined with bare, minimalist walls, this allows him to bring focus to the form
of the building, as this is what he believes brings emotional impact to architecture. Ando uses
his own recipe of concrete – ‘Ando Concrete’ – explaining that it must be a perfect
balance of steel bars, water, sand and aggregate. The bars are placed at an equal
distance, hence the holes. And the mix shouldn’t be runny – it should be viscous. The
characteristic concrete finish is achieved by varnishing the forms before pouring begins.

The key characteristics of the self-taught architect’s work are:

1)The use of raw concrete: (Ando Concrete),

2)Dramatic play of natural light
3)The interplay of interior and exterior spaces.
4)Primitive Shapes of Space,
5)Landscape dynamic formations
6)Dialogues with History.

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 Armani Silos
The New Fashion Museum in Milan:
“I would like to create architecture that could last forever, not in shape or in substance, but as
an indelible memory in men’s heart”
Tadao Ando

“The Challenge” is the first exhibition at Armani/Silos dedicated to architecture. The

retrospective includes over 50 projects, illustrated with sketches, original models, video
installations, technical drawings, travel notes and photographs taken by Ando himself.

The narrative journey through the exhibition – designed by Tadao Ando in collaboration with
Centre Pompidou – showcases the career of the Japanese architect that has distinguished
himself for his original use of nature and the combination of elements like water and light in
designed spaces; an expression of his pure and essential vision.
Through over fifty projects, the exhibition retraces the entire professional life of the Japanese
architect, identifying four main themes: Primitive forms of space, An urban challenge,
Genesis of the landscape and Dialogues with history. Born in Osaka in 1941, with an unusual
past as a boxer and truck driver, Tadao Ando is certainly the most famous contemporary
Japanese architect in the world. Fascinated by the work of Le Corbusier, he developed
a unique and unmistakable style characterized by essential and evocative spaces, where
Japanese tradition meets contemporary architecture. He has received numerous and
important awards including the Pritzker Prize in 1995, the Nobel of architecture. The
exhibition begins with some of the most important projects from the artist’s past like the
Azuma House, Sumiyoshi’s row house from 1976, up to contemporary works, some of which
are still in progress - such as the Paris Stock Exchange expected to be completed in the
autumn of 2019. The projects are illustrated using original sketches, models, video
installations, technical drawings, travel journals and photographs taken by the architect.
“In Tadao Ando’s architecture I see the extraordinary ability to transform heavy
materials, such as metal and concrete, into something poetic and exciting. I love how he
uses light, a key element that helps define the character of the spaces”, explains Giorgio
Armani, illustrating just how close his personal style is to the unmistakable aesthetics of the
Japanese architect.

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 The Challenge Interior
Compared to the retrospective presented at the Pompidou Centre in Paris in 2018, the
Milanese exhibition is enriched with a new element: The Armani/Teatro di Milano project is
exhibited to the public for the very first time. The project was entrusted by the fashion
designer Giorgio Armani to the Japanese architect in 2001, in order to restore an old
industrial building in Via Bergognone 59 in Milan and turn it into a new space. The
Armani/Teatro has become an integral part of the fashion house’s Milan headquarters,
serving as the fulcrum of fashion shows and other events organized by the company during
the Milan fashion week and at other times of the year.