tadao ando

i was given the designer tadao ando to learn about and research. he has a very long lists of projects under his name. many mostly being in japan. his designs are very simple and the focus a lot on the use of natural lighting.

i noticed he used a lot of the same materials and designs with all of his projects. that was seen a lot with his usage of concrete walls with what appears to be little circle designs all over. it gave it a very cold and industrial feel to me.

this photo is from wikipedia. i was also very interested in just how light worked with a design like this. i can tell that the way the outside lights hit the wall face really creates an amazing lighting/shadowing effect in the doorway.

i saw this photo on wikipedia. i can really see his detail and usage of natural light here. this is the Hyogo Prefectural Museum of Art, Kobe Japan. the way the sun come through it creates an illusion that there are more things there, like railing or stairs, but it is the shadows from those already existing things.

i agree with tadao ando's work. i think natural light makes for some pretty amazing things. just the way it shines through something, or bounces off a certain color can really create a phenomenon all it's own.

i have also learned that Tadao Ando was born in Oskaka, Japan in 1941. Wikipedia says that he worked as a trucker and a boxer before becoming and architect, and he never had any formal training. He opened his own firm in 1969. He likes to use exposed concrete in his designs. most of his designs are in japan, but he did design the modern art museum of fort worth and piccadilly gardens in manchester.

ando is a little different from the others on the list because he designs buildings and the others from what i have seen have been more of designing light installment pieces such as James Turrell and Leo Villareal. They all however find great inspiration through light and its affects on other objects and ourselves.