
Kumahachi Aburaya
Dignified statues celebrating heroines and heroes, stateswomen and men, and local personages are…
Ban caught the attention of the architectural world through his innovative use of cardboard tubes in construction in creating temporary structures that can be quickly and cheaply built – ideal in the aftermath of natural disasters. His minimalist and ecological approach is apparent in his more permanent designs, which include: Centre Pomidou-MetzFrance, Nomadic Museum; Cardboard Cathedral in Christchurch, New Zealand; Aspen Art Museum in Colorado; Mt. Fuji World Heritage Center in Fujinomiya, Japan; and Swatch Headquarters in Biel, Switzerland. In Oita Ban has created OPAM in Oita City, YUFUiNFO tourist information centre adjacent to Arata Isozaki’s Yufuin Station, and Kur Park Nagayu, a residential wellness facility centred around on Nagayu’s onsen hot spring waters. Amongst his accolades he has received the National Order of Merit from France, and the Pritzker Prize.