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This issue features the work of Shigeru Ban. Established in 1985, Shigeru Ban Architects has been pursuing innovative structures and construction methods based on clear concepts. Twenty-five projects spanning the 2 decades since Expo 2000 Hanover, drawn entirely from outside Japan, are presented here. The issue features two essays, one by Michael Webb describing Ban’s early career, his design strategy and inspiration. And an essay by Frei Otto on Shigeru Ban’s use of experimental materials and on their history of collaboration. Numerous sketches reveal how Ban’s architectural thinking develops across scales. In this volume, competition proposals are featured alongside his built works – whether using his famous paper tubes, wood, or steel – to draw out the continuities between each work, while focusing on materiality as the organizing theme.

Text in English and Japanese.