View Full Version : [Japan] Toyo Ito
jparchitectus
09-08-2005, 18:05
Toyo Ito
Born in Japan in 1941, Ito graduated from Tokyo University, Department of Architecture in 1965. After only staying a short while the firm Kiyonori Kikutake Architect and Associate, he started his own studio, 'Urban Robot' (URBOT) in Tokyo in1971. The name was later changed to Toyo Ito & Associates, Architects in 1979.
Toyo Ito is one of the world's most innovative and influential architects. Ito is known for creating extreme concept buildings, in which he seeks to fuse the physical and virtual worlds. He is a leading proponent of architecture that addresses issues of the contemporary 'simulated' city. Ito's interactive designs seek to represent the invisible electronic world as a parallel to our physical environment.
jparchitectus
09-08-2005, 18:06
One of his first Residential works -
white u
Nakano, Japan, 1976
White U is one of Toyo Ito’s first residential projects. This house was drawn by Toyo Ito for his elder sister, which had just lost her husband, and for her two nieces. With this project he created an almost unreal universe because the reality for the residents was unsatisfying.
he project evolved quickly from a square plan to a "U". The position of the main entrance creates a horseshoe which induced an axis of symmetry that dominated composition to create a fluid interior space, a such labyrinth or infinite space.
The immaculate whiteness of interior, with his subtle sets of lights, accentuates the abstract side of space. The walls white are seen by Ito as screens on which an image can be projected. They create an effect depthless surface and are used as a background for which images of the life such as the changing patterns of light can be shown.
jparchitectus
09-08-2005, 18:07
silver hut - architect's house
Tokyo, Japan, 1984
Silver hut, located in Tokyo, is the permanant residence of Toyo Ito himself. Ito designed the house to be a single family home. The idea came to him while he watched three astronauts sharing a meal in the solitude of their spaceship.
Ito juxiposed the promitive nature of the huts with the high technology of the space ship to create a duality that Ito felt represented Tokyo. This duality is exemplied by the science fiction nature of Tokyo and the jumbled mess that comes to together to represent Tokyo.
The primitive hut was designed to appear in a modern urban environment using advanced building techniques and comtemporary materials.
jparchitectus
09-08-2005, 18:07
tower of winds
Yokohama, Japan, 1986
During the day the Tower of Winds stands as a 21m tall opaque object, its aluminum cladding shielding the mirrored plates and lights within. At night the lights and reflective surfaces dance to the music of the city, computer-controls reacting to both man-made and natural forces: ambient sounds, wind forces, time of day and season.
The images that follow illustrate the variety of patterns and degrees of transparency achieved by a combination of over 1,000 lamps, twelve neon rings, and thirty flood lights, the last situated on the ground and directed upwards within the tower.
Ito created a work of art/architecture of simplicity that reflects the complexity and nature of the city and its inhabitants. His influence is the music of the environment combined with our interaction and effect upon it.
jparchitectus
09-08-2005, 18:08
egg of winds
Yokohama, Japan, 1991
Egg of winds it is a elliptical volume (16 meters long and 8 meters wide) suspended to four meters from the ground over the parking garage of the residential complex of Okawabata Rivercity 21.
Covered with 248 panels, the egg seems an averse presence when the sunlight is reflected from the dark silver cover of the surface. At night, the five floodlights shine on the egg as images from two screens are rear projected from inside the egg.
The shape of the object is intentional because provides a neutral base for the projections. Such sparcity represents an interpretation of the architect of the simulated city, a hypothesis of future existence that is materialized in a made three-dimensional existence of images.
jparchitectus
09-08-2005, 18:08
odate dome
odate dome- jukai stadium
Odate City, Japan, 1997
The Odate Dome is domed stadium with a wooden roof construction, which is one of the largest in the world. Timber from 25,000 Akita Cypress trees aged over 60 years were used to assemble the wooden roof.
A special double Teflon-coated membrane structure has been used to cover the roof, which allows enough natural light to enter so that no lighting is necessary during the day time. The design reflects the fact that the Dome is located in Snow Country: the buildup of snow on the roof is ingeniously avoided by the circulation of warm air between the Teflon-coated membranes to shake off snow.
The Odate Dome was created to suit local climatic conditions and geographical features.
jparchitectus
09-08-2005, 18:09
Sendai Mediatheque
2001, Sendai, Miyagi
The multi-purpose public cultural center accommodates a mixed program of library, art gallery, audio-visual library, film studio and café.
Having been originally inspired by the image of floating seaweed, the architecture is both transparent and light - as if the form is suspended in mid-air. This is achieved by having thirteen steel tubular lattice structures penetrating through and carrying the thin floor slabs (each only 400mm thick) on all seven floors.
Light, both daylight and artificial lighting, plays an important role in the design of the Sendai Mediatheque. In the day, the spaces are filled with diffused light from the outside while at night the entire structure is filled with light and the building glows invitingly.
jparchitectus
09-08-2005, 18:09
pavillion bruges,
Bruges, 2002
Erected in the centre of bruges, surrounded by ancient buildings from the middle ages and located at the place of a demolished cathedral it required a discreet approach. The result he came up with is a very light structure making use of water, light and metal, evoking lightness and transparency.
The architect placed a 22 meter long bridge on a circular water surface with a radius of 11.5 meters. The walls of the structure are perforated like a honeycomb and are strengthened with oval opaque areas.
ith his concept he tried to explore the borders of architecture and therefore stepped away of the characters of traditional buildings by using new materials and constructions allowing natural elements to play a part in his architecture.
jparchitectus
09-08-2005, 18:12
Toyo goes EL CROQUIS (http://www.elcroquis.es/elcroquis/numeros/num123/elcroquis123.htm)
Read up on TOYO BOOKS at ARBITAT (http://architects.arbitat.com/ito/)
Toyo BOOM (http://www.designboom.com/eng/interview/ito.html) Interview
Toyo at MOMA (http://www.moma.org/expansion/charette/architects/ito/)
Love TOYO so much you want to buy some BOOKS (http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/search-handle-form/104-9544252-7903117)
cobberman
09-08-2005, 18:13
I hadn't heard of Toyo Ito before so I did a google and got some images to share..
cobberman
09-08-2005, 18:14
Toyo Ito and Associates
Mediatheque, Sendai (2001)
the "plans called for a multifunctional facility comprised of a library, gallery, visual media center that also contained services to aid the sight-and hearing-impaired.
subsequently, plans changed so that instead of simply being a "mixed-use" facility, it was intended to encompass a larger sphere of functions that would allow the facility to operate as a unified "mediatheque" with common goals to respond to a continuously changing information environment and users' diverse needs.
the "sendai mediatheque will gather, preserve, exhibit, and present various forms of media without being bound to form or type. this public facility for the 21st century will, through its various functions and services, be able to support the cultural and educational activities of its users"
bruges 2002 has commissioned one of japan?s most innovative architects toyo ito to build a temporary pavilion at the brug. erected in the centre of bruges, surrounded by ancient buildings from the middle ages and located at the place of a demolished cathedral it required a discreet approach. therefore he came up with a very light structure making use of water, light and metal, evoking lightness and transparency.
the architect placed a 22-metre long bridge on a circular water surface with a radius of 11,5 metres. this u-shaped construction is measuring 15,4 metres long by 6,3 metres wide. the walls are perforated like a honeycomb and strengthened with oval areas.
surprisingly is the fact that some one from a totally different culture and historical background designed it. it proves us that art can be universal. it?s a result of years of passion to give architecture a totally new direction, just like his unquestionable masterpiece the mediatheque in sendai.
toyo ito had the barcelona pavilion in mind when he designed it. they both have a strong contemporary and innovative character and were used for a cultural manifestation. with his concept he tried to explore the borders of architecture and therefore stepped away of the characters of traditional buildings by using new materials and constructions allowing natural elements to play a part in his architecture. he calls it ?blurring architecture?. a term used at the presentation of his work in the art centre of antwerp, desingel (2000).
the pavilion can be viewed from february till november 2002 in bruges (belgium), cultural capital of europe.
6... pics are from DANDA (http://www.danda.be/outdata/?dreview=46&category=) website
jparchitectus
09-08-2005, 18:27
Cobberman - In the lines of Michel. Please include at least the name and location of the building you are posting.
The reference section is meant to be just that. We would like to establish a reliable reference on architects and their work.
2002 Serpentine Gallery Pavillion
Hyde Park, London
Serpentine Gallery Pavilion 2002
Toyo Ito with Arup listed in The Observer's Top Ten Buildings 2002
The Serpentine annually commissions international architects of world-wide acclaim to design a Pavilion for the Gallery's lawn that provides a unique showcase for contemporary architectural practice. This is the third in the series, following Zaha Hadid (2000) and Daniel Libeskind with Arup (2001), whose Eighteen Turns was listed by The Observer as one of the top-ten buildings of 2001.
Toyo Ito's ground-breaking ideas about the form and function of contemporary buildings have secured him a place in the vanguard of world-class architecture. His highly acclaimed Médiatèque in Sendai fuses Japanese tradition with radical ways of thinking about architecture and its place in contemporary life.
Cecil Balmond Chairman of Arup Europe. His commitment to architecture and design and his interest in the exploration of non-linear form have led to collaborations with some of the world's most innovative architects including Toyo Ito, Rem Koolhaas and Daniel Libeskind.
The Serpentine Gallery Pavilion 2002 has played host to Park Nights, a special programme of summer evening events, architectural talks, film screenings and the BBC Poetry Proms,staged to complement the Serpentine's Late-night Friday Openings, when the Gallery was open until 10pm.
Text from Serpentine Gallery website
http://www.serpentinegallery.org/aac_previous.html
guillermo
15-08-2005, 01:59
that's was one of the most impressive project for me as a 1st year student last year ^^ :
Tod's -Tokyo - 2004
http://architettura.supereva.com/architetture/20050109/04.jpg
http://architettura.supereva.com/architetture/20050109/02_c.jpg
http://architettura.supereva.com
takesh h
15-08-2005, 04:41
I re-posted an old thread of SENDAI MEDIATHEQUE (http://www.pushpullbar.com/forums/showthread.php?p=3244#post3244) with some new photos as an individual thread. :)
The Royal Gold Medal for 2006 is to be awarded to influential Japanese architect Toyo Ito.
Born in 1941, Toyo Ito worked for Kiyonori Kikutake before he opened his own office in 1971, first as Urban Robot (URBOT) and later Toyo Ito & Associates.
His aesthetic is one of of lightweight, permeable membranes composed of fabrics, perforated aluminum panels and expanded metal sheets, evident in projects such as Tower of Winds (1986), Restaurant Nomad (1986) and Yatsushiro Municipal Museum (1991). His early works in Japan include White U (1976) and Silver Hut (1984).
Best known in the UK for the 2002 Serpentine Gallery Pavilion, Toyo Ito will be presented with the Royal Gold Medal at a ceremony at the RIBA on 15 February.
Given in recognition of a lifetime’s work, the Royal Gold Medal is approved personally by Her Majesty the Queen and is given annually to a person or group of people whose influence on architecture has had a truly international effect. The award is for a body of work, rather than for one building or for an architect who is currently fashionable. Previous winners include Le Corbusier (1953), Sir Giles Gilbert Scott (1925), Frank Gehry (2000) and Archigram (2002).
Nominations for the 2006 medal were considered by a special jury chaired by the RIBA President, which also selects the Honorary Fellows. The jury for the 2006 Honours Committee included:
Jack Pringle, RIBA President
Ian Ritchie, Ian Ritchie Architects
Odile Decq, Architectes Urbanistes
Chris Wilkinson, Wilkinson Eyre
Professor Peter Cook
Amanda Baillieu, RIBA Journal
Brian Clarke, artist and Honorary Fellow
PRESS RELEASE (http://www.riba.org/go/RIBA/News/Press_4975.html)
Webpage LINK (http://www.c-channel.com/c00088/index_en.html)
Tod's, Tokyo:
From the RIBA press release that digdoi posted:
"In going beyond the purity of modernism, Toyo Ito is trying to find an architecture which reflects nature, emerging from autopoietic processes and organic geometries, to create joyful and pleasant spaces filled with life."
I thought that sounded to much like archijargon, so I looked in the dictionary (see photo). But then I found some answers at this site:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Autopoiesis
Anyone else out there concerning themselves with autopoietic processes and organic geometries?
gV
franjayo
02-10-2005, 18:24
Great timig JP! Thanks to all for the very relevant information and photos.
his work is sooo unpredictable...
Kazuyo Sejima worked in his atelier but their approach are sooo different now...
That's impressive!
mimilapin
28-02-2006, 23:57
the competition for a building for dance and theatre - Gent forum,
toyo ito & associates and andrea branzi
mimilapin
28-02-2006, 23:59
the design is made out of a continuous vertical and horizontal system that reminds us of caves. this unity forms an acoustic labyrinth with a never before seen spatial atmosphere. by opening or closing several acoustical walls a diversity of spaces can be created; allowing the configuration of different sound caves. by this the buildings is able to transform itself for the specific needs of a concert. one can even think further; the building and its geometry might have such an impact on the music that it might be the cause of something new.
this inner mechanism of the whole system is being exposed to the outer world through a transparent facade. the glass skin emphasizes the verticality, as the strings of a warp. the design has a playful, rhythmic, and harmonious character.
mimilapin
01-03-2006, 00:02
Forum by Toyo Ito and Andrea Branzi didn’t got selected.
mimilapin
01-03-2006, 00:19
Taichung Metropolitan Opera House Competition - ppb2 thread (http://www.pushpullbar.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1823&page=1&pp=10&highlight=zaha+hadid)
mimilapin
01-03-2006, 00:46
Forum by Toyo Ito and Andrea Branzi didn’t got selected.
The winner is Neutelings Riedijk (authors of SOCIAL HOUSING 'HOLLAINHOF' in Gent too :) )
Neutelings Riedijk:
Not to discredit Toyo Ito , but there is an unsung hero behind the Serpentine and the Mediatheque I believe . Goes by the name of Cecil Balmond , one of the top guys at Ove Arup , engineer , poet , philosopher , a Bucky Fuller of our times . You can read about him here (http://observer.guardian.co.uk/review/story/0,6903,819786,00.html) and here (http://www.bbzine.com/archeplus/profile01/Qeads201.html) . Googling won't hurt as well .
takesh h
01-03-2006, 09:13
Of course, Mr. Balmond is behind nearly all noticeable architectural projects nowadays.
Arup introduction (http://www.arup.com/people.cfm?pageid=4373)
His book, Informal (http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/3791324004/sr=8-1/qid=1141199894/ref=pd_bbs_1/002-4094143-8437627?%5Fencoding=UTF8) is a good place to start.
Maybe we should have a separate thread for him, and it is going to be a long thread.
Maybe we should have a separate thread for him, and it is going to be a long thread.
Agree and its going to be long . He has managed to ruffle quite a few feathers .
mechaneko
25-07-2006, 20:43
ito is the best. my fav architect. even when i do my design subjects, i can't help but to refer to his works cos they are so ground-breaking both in design and construction. my fav is his sendai mediatheque. i wonder if you guys could have a new thread to explain his idea of "blurring architecture". i really can't grasp it. thanks.
thiago7000
25-07-2006, 21:10
i wonder if you guys could have a new thread to explain his idea of "blurring architecture". i really can't grasp it. thanks.
Me either :bang head
toyo ito is also my favourite architect as he has so much variety in his work and every project is a different exploration al together.
Also he uses technology in a very innovative way in his buildings.
Me either :bang head
The same with you.........
yellllow
26-10-2006, 18:22
i've often referenced toyo ito in my design ideas, not only for ground breaking construction but for his subtle yet strongly represented philosophies. he's great, true inspiration
there is an unsung hero... Goes by the name of Cecil Balmond.
Of all the things you could say about cecil balmond 'unsung' is not one of them.
He sings his own tune at the to of his voice! :no no no:
my fav is his sendai mediatheque...
You should come and see it.
I live near it and go there fairly regularly. I find the building to be good but not great and hence one of the most overrated buildings around - it gets so much hyperbole.
[the thing I like best is the lighting - which as in all his projects is brilliant]
I also find Tods on ometesando to be cheap and tacky as with the jewellry store in ginza (forgot the name)
But I agree in general that Ito is brilliant, it feels like his buildings are ideas and unfinished experiments and that is how I would rate them. His masterpiece is still to come.
mechaneko
31-10-2006, 05:30
oh? really? thats cool. design speaking, yeah the building is abit over the top on the hype but i guess the think that really makes it great is the construction techniques introduced. i've seen the dvd of it and i do find it(the deisgn) a little too cold. maybe too mechanicalized. but most japanese designs are like that on the outside. anyway, i do agree he is too experimental in his work which makes the building less than perfect. but being cheap is not an issue should it? yeah, i do hope to really see his masterpiece soon. it would be a great graduating present for me if it comes in 5-6 years time. hahaha!!!
Toyo Ito's 1st major project out of Japan in Asia.
Inspired by the harbour front location which evokes images of waves.
http://vivocity.com.sg
There seems to be some similarities in this and the winning entry for Taichung Metropolitan Opera House.
Anyway, i'll be posting some pictures on a new thread if anyone is interested.
takesh h
27-07-2007, 03:00
Ito's latest work, Tama Art University Library in Tokyo.
Flickr (http://www.flickr.com/photos/naoyafujii/sets/72157600000368527/)
photo by naoyafujii (http://www.flickr.com/photos/naoyafujii/)
Ito's latest work, Tama Art University Library in Tokyo.
More info and images HERE (http://www.tamabi.ac.jp/idd/2006/e/library.html)
takesh h
18-09-2007, 01:32
More photos of Tama Art University at dezeen (http://www.dezeen.com/2007/09/11/tama-art-university-library-by-toyo-ito/).
This library is surprisingly nice.
I think TOYO ITO is amazing, his concepts and creative thinking is someting which is lacking these days
JesseJacob
25-12-2007, 12:36
Ito's latest work, Tama Art University Library in Tokyo.
Flickr (http://www.flickr.com/photos/naoyafujii/sets/72157600000368527/)
photo by naoyafujii (http://www.flickr.com/photos/naoyafujii/)
I found this just now and was going to post it up, then I saw you guys had beat me to the punch.
WHAT A BEAUTIFUL BUILDING!!.
[the thing I like best is the lighting - which as in all his projects is brilliant]
Thats because most of his projects involve a lighting designer.
takesh h
14-02-2008, 03:48
Just found those Ito drawings for Suginami Art Hall in Suginami ward website.
They were posted for maintenance bidding.
hi.. am trying to gather more information regarding toyo ito's Nomad restaurant 1986 in tokyo.. seems that it was demolished 3 years after it was operational. anybody can point me to the right direction?
takesh h
29-10-2008, 16:56
The concept video of the new Berkeley Art Museum and Pacific Film Archive (BAM/PFA) at the University of California, by Toyo Ito.
http://kenplatz.nikkeibp.co.jp/article/building/news/20081027/527448/
Hmmmm, looks interesting!
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