The Social Role of Architects
Seoul Design International Forum 2023 14 September, KST13:00-18:00 Live Streaming SDIF.ORG |
Session 1 : The City of Today : Urban Design Strategies for Seoul as an Inclusive City
The Social Role of Architects and Balancing between Humanitarian and Architectural Works
Shigeru Ban(CEO of Shigeru Ban Architectural Design Office)
Presentation will be mainly divided into three topics:
1. Investigating potential of paper tube as structure
- Paper is typically seen as something weak without its own strength. I will explain about how I started using paper tubes as architectural element, challenges I went through, and how something so seemingly weak can become something so strong and durable.
2. Architectural and Design Works
- Architecture plays a vital role as part of our city. They in fact make up and define the city. I will explain some of the major architectural works, from small to large scale projects. I will also show a number of projects with timber structure. Timber is one of many materials from the nature, and is known to be very environmentally friendly (for example emits much less CO2 than concrete and steel).
3. Humanitarian Works
- As architects, there are so many things we can do. Creating better living and social environments for those who have lost their homes from natural disasters, war, etc., and are staying in temporary shelters or tents are one of them. Just like any architectural works, I believe we as architects can use our knowledge to create good, beautiful spaces for those in need. I will show a number of humanitarian works, from my first project with UNHCR to most recent housing project in Ukraine.
When designing a building, it is important to understand what its users, its surrounding, its city wants it to be. Only buildings loved by its users and its city will endure, while those abandoned by the people will be demolished. It is not a question of how strong it is – concrete structures that seem very strong and durable can be easily demolished if it is no longer used, whereas temporary structures can remain for a long period of time if loved by people. This is the case with one of my projects – Paper Church, which was first constructed in Kobe and relocated to Taiwan after being used ten years. As architects, our outmost goal is to create beautiful and comfortable spaces. This is the same when it comes to temporary structures or disaster-relief projects. I hope my examples of works will give young architects and designers ideas about how they can step outside their comfort zones and find their own roles in our society.
1. Field
- Architectural Design / Timber Architecture / Humanitarian & Disaster relief activities
2. Organization
- Established Shigeru Ban Architects, 1985-Present
- Established NGO, Voluntary Architects’ Network, 1995-Present
- Special Guest Professor at Shibaura Institute of Technology, 2023-Present
3. Main Experiences
- Professor at Keio University, 2001-2008, 2019-2023
- Consultant for United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), 1995-1999
4. Project
- Paper Church & Paper Log House / Kobe, Japan, 1995
- Japan Pavilion, Expo 2000 / Hanover, Germany, 2000
- Papertainer Museum / Seoul, Korea, 2006
- Center Pompidou-Metz / Metz, France, 2010
- Haesley Nine Bridges Golf Clubhouse / Yeoju, Korea, 2010
- Cardboard Cathedral / Christchurch, New Zealand, 2013
- Mt. Fuji World Heritage Center / Shizuoka, Japan, 2017
- Swatch Headquarters and Omega Factory / Biel, Switzerland, 2019
- Hamlet at Haesley / Yeoju, Korea, 2020
- The Transparent Tokyo Toliet / Shibuya, Japan, 2020
- Simose Art Museum, Restaurant, and Art Garden Villa / Hiroshima, Japan, 2023
- Ukraine Refugee Assistance Project (Paper Partition System, Housing units) / Ukraine, Ongoing
