ando + the deflection of urban chaos.

in response to an age where urban chaos prevents the art of traditional japanese architecture, tadao ando’s architecture generates and shares the serenity + clarity that characterises this traditional design aesthetic. exterior walls deflect surrounding urban chaos, while interior walls enclose private space.

ando creates microcosms for the individual with ever-changing patterns of light. his architecture is a reflection of a fundamental process of building something for habitation: he responds to architecture with an artistic + intellectual sensitivity. the results are buildings that inspire + serve as a place for the human spirit. ando's architecture is an assemblage of artistically composed surprises in space + form.


the church of light, located in the outskirts of osaka, is one of my favourite buildings. so when i visited japan last year, i made the 'pilgrimage' to the little church hidden in the back streets of suburban japan. after a train from kyoto, a district bus [absolutely no english] and getting lost in the tangle of lace-like streets [without a map], we finally stumbled upon the humble building. it is honest in its materiality [concrete, glass and timber] and ando is known for the careful finishes he puts on his concrete surfaces. as such, at certain times of the day, light fills the interior through slices in the walls [including a cross in the back wall], thus the space is almost delimited and begins to encompass something very spiritual. it is beautiful example of an architecture that has the power to illicit happiness. and just being.