I don’t begin with a material. I begin with a problem. If a material can solve that problem, then I become interested in it. Sometimes it is paper, sometimes timber, sometimes carbon fibre. There are many materials we still don’t use efficiently. I think there is always room to discover new possibilities, every project presents a different problem, and I am always thinking about how to solve it more simply, with fewer materials or a better structure. I think every material has good and bad qualities. The important thing is understanding them and using them appropriately.
Managed profile
Not claimed by Shigeru Ban
Shigeru Ban has not joined FLAPSS and has not endorsed it. This page is a reference record assembled from published interviews and public remarks. Every answer below is a direct quotation with the source and date shown next to it.
SB
Shigeru Ban
Japanese architect
Japan · b. 1957
Arts and letters
About
Shigeru Ban (坂 茂, Ban Shigeru; born 5 August 1957) is a Japanese architect, known for his innovative work with paper, particularly recycled cardboard tubes used to quickly and efficiently house disaster victims. Many of his notable designs are structures which are temporary, prefabricated, or incorporate inexpensive and unconventional materials in innovative ways.
1 answer
Every quotation above is reproduced from the source shown beside it and has not been edited. Shigeru Ban did not write these answers for FLAPSS. Request a correction or removal.