Isozaki Arata (born July 23, 1931, Ōita) is recognized as Japan’s most influential postwar architect. Described by the Pritzker jury as“a versatile, influential, and truly international architect”, he established his own firm in 1963, the Arata Isozaki & Associates.
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Early Years, Education and the Establishing of the Arata Isozaki & Associates
Born on 23 July 1931 in Ōita City, Kyushu, Japan, Arata Isozaki completed his schooling at theOita Uenogi High School. He then graduated from theDepartment of Architecture in the Faculty of Engineeringat the University of Tokyo in 1954. Subsequently, Isozaki followed a doctoral program in architecture from the same university and worked under the renowned Japanese architectKenzo Tange. A few years later. in 1963, he establishedArata Isozaki & Associates,base from which he has continued to work ever since.In 2019 Isozaki won the prestigious Pritzker Architecture Prize for its influence on international architecture.
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Stylistic Influences and the Italian Department
Isozaki’s early projects were influenced byEuropean experiences with a style mixed between “New Brutalism” and “Metabolist Architecture”, later on, his style continued to evolve and he developeda more modernistic tastewith buildings such as theArt Tower of Mito(1986 – 1990) and theDomus-Casa del Hombrein Spain (1991 – 1995). In 2005, Arata Isozaki founded theItalian branch of his office, Arata Isozaki & Andrea Maffei Associatesand worked on two major projects: theAllianz Tower City Lifeoffice tower, a redevelopment project in the former trade fair area in Milan, and the newTown Libraryin Maranello, Italy.
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The Personality of Isozaki Works Behond Stylistic Boundaries
From his 1960s work such as Oita Prefectural Library to his 21st-century work in the Middle East and Asia, Isozaki has created anarchitecture so personal in its ideas and spaces that it defies characterization in any single school of thought.At the same time,he resists the temptation to apply a signature style to his jobs, preferring instead to create architectural solutions specific to the political, social and cultural contexts of the client and site in question.
By harnessing the latent strength that has existed in architecture since its inception,Isozaki has been able to wield influence on knowledge systems far beyond his own field. In addition, through his activity as a critic and a jury-member for major public and private architecture commissions and competitions,he has contributed significantly to making the vision of the world’s most radical architects a reality.
His activities, spanning over a half century, have gone beyond thought, art, design, music, film, theatre and of course architecture, and they have raised questions spanning multiple ages and multiple disciplines.
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Isozaki’s Notable Works
Over 50 years of a flourishing career, Isozaki has designed numerous buildings and structures, both private and public, that have become masterpieces of architecture.
Museum of Modern Art Gunma, Japan, 1974
Considered one ofIsozaki’s masterpieces,Museum of Modern Art Gunmahas aminimal aestheticto prevent the architecture from competing with exhibits.
It is composed of an arrangement of cubes, combined to form a large rectangular block with projecting wings. Isozaki extended the museum in 1994.
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帕劳桑特乔迪,西班牙,1992年
One of Isozaki’s best-known buildings is thePalau Sant Jordiin Barcelona,a sports facility completed for the 1992 Summer Olympic Games.
The 17,000-seat arena is covered by domed roof informed by traditional Catalan vaults and finished in locally-sourced materials includingbrick, tile, zinc,andtravertine.
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Ark Nova, Japan, 2013
Isozaki worked with artistAnish Kapoorto create this inflatable mobile concert hall, which was created to tour regionsaffected by a major earthquake and tsunami in 2011.
It houseda 500-seat performance venueand was made from a stretchy plastic membranethat could be quickly inflated or disassembled to be transported to a new location.
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Qatar National Convention Centre, Qatar, 2013
Gigantic tree-like columns support the overhanging roof of theQatar National Convention Centre, which Isozaki designed as a reference to theholy Islamic Sidrat al-Muntaha tree.
列圣and in front of the building’s large rectangularglass facades最大的会展中心,附上the Middle East, accommodatingup to 7,000 peoplein its three main halls.
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Prizes and Recognition
- Annual Prize, Architectural Institute of Japan in 1967 and 1975;
- Mainichi Art Awardin 1983;
- RIBA Gold Medalin 1986;
- International Award “Architecture in Stone”in 1987;
- Arnold W. Brunner Memorial Prizeof the American Academy and Institute of Arts and Letters in 1988;
- Chicago Architecture Awardin 1990;
- Honor Award,American Institute of Architects in 1992;
- RIBA Honorary Fellowin 1994;
- The ECC Awardin 2012 for his Venice installation Zhongyuan;
- Pritzker Prizein 2019.
Info sources:
http://www.isozaki.co.jp/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arata_Isozaki
https://www.britannica.com/biography/Isozaki-Arata
https://www.dezeen.com/2019/03/05/arata-isozaki-architecture-projects-pritzker-prize/
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