Studio Banana TV had the opportunity to sit down with Tokyo-based architect Sou Fujimoto. He discussed the current inner-workings of his office and highlights his involvement with teaching in other countries, describing it as a “precious experience”. The importance of learning from other cultures and different students has positively impacted his ever-expanding involvement with a variety of international projects.  He describes architecture as a “patient process” and believes architectural education should teach students how exciting the profession is.

Would you like to see more? View ArchDaily’s interview with Sou Fujimoto and some of his featured projects here.

Courtesy of Sou Fujimoto Architects

Tokyo-based architect Sou Fujimoto has been selected as the first prize winner for the Taiwan Tower International Competition. The winning proposal’s design reflects Sou Fujimoto’s philosophy of Primitive Future, as the “21st Century Oasis” aspires to be a model of green architecture for the future generations.

Continue reading for more project information and images.

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Shinkenchiku brings you an exclusive inside tour of the contemporary House NA, designed by Sou Fujimoto Architects. Thin, steel poles delicately support the transparent “pile of boxes” at varying heights. In an interview conducted by F.W. Monocle, Sou Fujimoto explains, “In one way the house is like a single space, but each room is also a tiny space of its own. The clients said they wanted to live like nomads within the house – they didn’t have specific plans for each room. The house looks radical but for the clients it seemed quite natural.”

Architects: Sou Fujimoto Architects
Location: Oita, Japan
Project Team: Yumiko Nogiri
Structural Consultant: Jun Sato Structural Engineers
Design Year: 2006-2007
Construction Year: 2007-2008
Site Area: 236,57 sqm
Constructed Area: 150,57 sqm
Photographer: Iwan Baan

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A while ago I had the chance to meet one of the architects whose work I highly admire: Sou Fujimoto.

This Japanese architect based in Tokyo, Japan, established his firm Sou Fujimoto Architects back in 2000. He graduated from the Department of Architecture at the University of Tokyo in 1994, and has been a lecturer at Kyoto University since 2007. With a solid history in residential and cultural projects this firm has consistently shown a unique and innovative play of spatial qualities within its building designs, pushing the limits of housing and space conventions.

He defines his architecture under the concept of Primitive Future (as seen on his book), better described by himself as “a sort of primitive situation that relates to the human cave habitation but at the same time creating something new for the future”. This explains very well his works, specially in his recently completed library and museum for the Mushashino Art University. On our article you can watch a video of Sou explaining the challenges of designing a library on the information age.

You can check other works by Sou Fujimoto recently featured on ArchDaily:

• House N
• Group Home in Noboribetsu
• T House
• House of ORDOS 100
• Children’s Center for Psychiatric Rehab
• Final Wooden House
• Dalarna Library (in progress, with ADEPT Architects)

© Daici Ano

Architects: Sou Fujimoto
Location: Tokyo, Japan
Client: Musashino Art University
Project Year: 2010
Project Area: 2,883.18 sqm
Photographs: Daici Ano

One of the most interesting projects I’ve seen in a while, the Musashino Art University Museum & Library proposes a new relation between the user and the books, surrounded and sheltered by them. We had the chance to ask Sou Fujimoto about the challenge of designing this program in the information age, as you can see on the above video.

More info after the break:

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Exterior render © ADEPT Architects Sou Fujimoto

Danish architects ADEPT Architects, together with an impressive group of collaborators, have been awarded with the 1st prize on the competition for the Dalarna Library in Sweden. The team includes Sou Fujimoto (Japan, see all his projects previously featured on AD), Topotek1 (Germany), Rambøll A/S (Denmark) and Bosch & Fjord (Denmark).

The new library, placed centrally at the Dalarna university campus, is organized as a ”spiral of knowledge” (see diagram below). The sloping terrain continues in a ramp through the building. Wrapping itself the ramp creates a spiral-shaped space – the heart of the building for information seeking and easy orientation. This organization of program creates a various learning environment where students can take part in the vibrant life of the library as well as retreat into various study niches. The different sound levels and activities create a diverse and eventful library.

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Architects: Sou Fujimoto Architects
Location: Hokkaido, Japan
Principal Use: Group home for elderly with dementia
Project Year: 2006
Structure material: Wood
Site Area: 1,637 sqm
Constructed Area: 745 sqm
Photographer: Daici Ano

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MAD recently organized a collaborative masterplanning project in South West China. Ten young international architects were invited to take part in an urban experiment, to design a new city centre on a scenic natural site close to the city of Guiyang. The participating architects were: Atelier Manferdini (USA), BIG (DENMARK), Dieguez Fridman (ARGENTINA), EMERGENT/Tom Wiscombe (USA), HouLiang Architecture (CHINA), JDS (DENMARK/BELGIUM), MAD (CHINA), Mass Studies (KOREA), Rojkind Arquitectos (MEXICO), Serie (UK/INDIA), Sou Fujimoto Architects (JAPAN).

Seen on designboom.

Images after the break. read more »

This villa is located in plot #70 of the ORDOS project.

Architects: Sou Fujimoto Architects
Location: Ordos, Inner Mongolia, China
Design year: 2008
Construction year: 2009
Curator: Ai Weiwei, Beijing, China
Client: Jiang Yuan Water Engineering Ltd, Inner Mongolia, China
Constructed Area: 1,000 sqm aprox

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Architects: Sou Fujimoto Architects
Location: Gunma, Japan
Principal Use: Residence
Project Year: 2005
Structure material: Wood
Site Area: 144.47 sqm
Constructed Area: 90.82 sqm
Photographer: Daici Ano & Sou Fujimoto

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Architects: Sou Fujimoto Architects
Location: Hokkaido, Japan
Project Team: Hiroshi Kato
Project Year: 2006
Site Area: 14,590 sqm
Constructed Area: 2,536 sqm
Photographer: Daici Ano & Sou Fujimoto

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Architects: Sou Fujimoto Architects
Location: Kumamoto, Japan
Project Team: Hiroshi Kato
Structural Consultant: Jun Sato Structural Engineers
Lighting: Hirohito Totsune
Contractor: Tanakagumi Construction
Design Year: 2005-2006
Construction Year: 2007-2008
Site Area: 89,3 sqm
Constructed Area: 15,13 sqm
Photographer: Iwan Baan

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