Tadao Ando

A few months ago, I attended a short lecture by Tadao Ando at the GA gallery in Harazyuku. I have heard his lectures two or three times before and read many of his books, however in the lecture Ando told a very interesting story that I never heard before.

I had felt Ando was little bit different from other japanese architects since he never uses ambiguous or abstract words that other architects like to use and he always speaks directly to ordinary people and not to architects. But I couldn't understood the reason why he is different.

In the lecture he said,
"I decline any offers discuss with other architect in a public space. Because, I didn't go to university and learned architecture on my own. I am humble. So, if I have a opportunity to discuss with other architects in a public space, it will be a waste of time for both of us and a public humiliation for me. "



He is one of Japan's most famous architects and he his architect career has spanned over 50 years. So, I don't think he is an uneducated man and I can't understand his words and comments about himself. However, I think his complex about his educational background makes him different.

I have been to about ten buildings designed by Ando. For me, "Church of the light" is the best architectural design. The church was a very simple box without any ornaments. However, I felt rich light from cross-shaped slit in the wall that made a statement.

a my personal experience

Four months have past since I wrote my last article.(It has been a long time.) In this article, I would like to tell you about a personal experience about architecture. That is the reason why I continue to learn architecture

Ten years has elapsed since I started to learn architecture. However only Two years has gone by since I saw really beautiful architecture for the first time.

Two years ago, I went to India and Bangladesh to see some architecture designed by famous architect Le Corbusier and Louis Isadore Kahn. Of course. their architecture was really beautiful,but the most impressive architecture was a mosque that I didn't know who designed.



When I was in India. One day, I walked around downtown in early morning as I always do while traveling. I found an entrance and casually walked in. I was surprised by the superb surroundings. Compared to outside, the inside was completely different. ( It was so clean and quiet.)





I was glued especially to a column. That was builded using many polygonal shapes. In the rising sun, the polygonal shapes had displayed beautiful gradation in the contrast of the side in the sunlight and the side not.

Before my trip, I had saw much architecture, but I never imagined how beautiful a column made of simple geometry would be.

At that time I felt strongly that light and shadow were the most important elements for architectural beauty and I understood Louis Isadore Kahn's words "without light there is no architecture".



When I feel myself weakening in my job, I often recall that scene in the mosque and I begin to wonder why I'm bothered by such trifles.