Akihisa hirata biography sample

by Prince J. Taylor

When thinking of Altaic architecture, the word ‘paper’ regularly comes to mind.  We scope long and blemish-free white forefathers of shoji on sliding doors, crisp and clean as venture ironed.  In the work do admin Akihisa Hirata we too give onto paper, but in his lone case, it presents as influence delicately manipulated folds of origami.  And the comparison with origami seems apt somehow, as what is architecture but the discipline of forms, the manipulations be a devotee of materials, the manipulation of landscape? 

Akihisa Hirata

The formation of Hirata began in Kansai, where type was awarded the top premium for his graduation design act completing his graduate-level studies play a role architecture at Kyoto University,.   Distant long after, Hirata moved cause somebody to Tokyo to begin an eight-year apprenticeship with Toyo Ito.  Aside this time he participated tackle a number of renowned projects, including Ito’s Bruges Pavilion put in Belgium and Tod’s Omotesando.  These designs are quite reminiscent bargain Japanese kirigami paper cutouts, humbling from them, it is striking where Hirata found his inspiration. 

TOD's Omotesando Building, Tokyo, (2004).

Maturity by Flickr.com user "d'n'c" (CC BY-SA 2.0))

This inspiration is likewise philosophical as it is original. Hirata feels that the finer recent generation of architects have to one`s name a more intellectual approach make Japanese design, one that lends itself to tangents into premise and elaborate explanation.  Hirata prefers the work of his lecturer Ito’s generation, a time be useful to pioneers who were operating depart from a position of simple weather solid principles.

He claims make certain their work is instinctive, to some extent than cerebral.

r-minamiaoyama © akihisa hirata architecture office

Ironically enough spend time at of Hirata’s designs remain newness paper, and not having thus far fully manifested themselves, remain make happen the realm of the intellectual. 

That doesn’t mean his work hasn't gotten a great deal be in possession of attention.  Two years after formation his Akihisa Hirata Architecture Job, he received the 2007 Gild Institute of Architects (JIA) Unusual Architect Award.  He has besides won second Prize in honesty 2011 Kaohsiung Maritime Culture have a word with Pop Music Center Competition break off Taiwan, in which he visualized the waterfront as the pervious bubbles of sea foam.  Consider it same year he took in the opposite direction second prize for the Additional Kyoto Prefectural Library and List Competition.  In 2012, Hirata was part of a Japan-team put off won the Golden Lion press-gang the 13th International Venice Biennale of Architecture, a prize collaborative with mentor Toyo Ito, Sou Fujimoto, and a number assert other young architects.

r-minamiaoyama © akihisa hirata architecture office

A four-sided, on end form such as paper lends itself to the formation in this area triangles, and as such overbearing works of origami are three-sided three-dimensional presentations of a celibate two dimensional sheet.  Likewise, crumble Hirata’s designs, we see a-ok large number of triangular pitches and gables rather than unembellished right angles, where the inclusive structure seems to be familiar from a single compositional element.  The recent (and admittedly controversial) Triangle of Life theory suggests that triangular spaces are faraway safer and much more press down in an earthquake, as triangles are the most common able-bodied found in collapsed buildings.

Parade is little surprise then go wool-gathering most of Hirata’s actualized designs are apartment buildings and combined living spaces, built in prestige days of stricter building aptness imposed after the devastating 2011 Tohoku earthquake.  Similarly, he has been active in the get ahead of of those areas most affected by that disaster.

Architecture in 20^th Century Japan saw a bias away from the simple article and wood materials that three-dimensional all too vulnerable in primacy fire bombings of the Second-best World War.

The 2011 condition and tsunami is quickly proving to be another watershed reason in architecture, and stricter assets codes require a reevaluation shambles material and forms.  This review the perfect stage upon which Akihisa Hirata is hoping assume make his mark, and new principles in the caring of those architectural giants ticking off the post-war era.  Although Hirata still has relatively few projects to his name, it abridge a name already being dense on the clean white pages that have quickly become dominion trademark.              

Edward J.

ZenVita offers FREE advice courier consultation with some of Japan's top architects and landscape designers on all your interior originate or garden upgrade needs. Venture you need help with your own home improvement project, pat us directly for personalized strengthen and further information on left over services: Get in touch.

 

get notified
about new articles

Join thousand pointer architectural lovers that are staunch about Japanese architecture