By — Victoria Fleischer Victoria Fleischer Leave your feedback Share Copy URL https://www.pbs.org/newshour/arts/pritzker-prize-winner-shigeru-ban-designs-houses-out-of-paper Email Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Pinterest Tumblr Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Pritzker Prize winner used paper to build cathedral, concert hall and homes for refugees Arts Mar 27, 2014 4:50 PM EDT Paper, a traditional material for home interiors in Japan, is not exactly a typical architectural construction material anywhere else. But this year’s winner of the Pritzker Architecture Prize has shown that he can create beautiful structures for shelter, culture and worship from the humble cardboard tube. Photo by Shigeru Ban ArchitectsShigeru Ban, who has designed a wide variety of structures, is known for his humanitarian efforts with disaster victims. The Tokyo-born architect has created recyclable shelters for low cost, starting back in Rwanda during the 1994 conflict that left millions without stable living conditions. The UN Refugee Agency made Ban a consultant after he proposed the creation of shelters out of paper tubes. Ban has provided housing assistance in countries all over the world, including Haiti, China, India and Turkey. In 1995, he designed cardboard houses and a “Paper Church” community center for victims of the earthquake in Kobe, Japan. According to the Pritzker Prize, he attributes his desire to use recyclable materials to Japanese culture and his upbringing. The 56-year-old architect also designed the Pompidou Centre-Metz modern and contemporary art museum in France, the Japan Pavilion at the 2000 Hannover Expo in Germany, as well as other innovative structures for private clients. **** See photos of several of Ban’s creations below: Exterior of the Japan Pavilion, Expo 2000 Hannover, Germany (2000) Photo by Hiroyuki Hirai courtesy of Shigeru Ban Architects **** Curtain Wall House Tokyo, Japan (1995) Photo by Hiroyuki Hirai courtesy of Shigeru Ban Architects Photo by Hiroyuki Hirai courtesy of Shigeru Ban Architects **** Cardboard Cathedral Christchurch, New Zealand (2013) Photo by Stephen Goodenough courtesy of Shigeru Ban Architects Photo by Stephen Goodenough courtesy of Shigeru Ban Architects **** Paper Concert Hall L’Aquila, Italy (2011) Photo by Didier Boy de la Tour courtesy of Shigeru Ban Architects Photo by Didier Boy de la Tour courtesy of Shigeru Ban Architects **** Haesley Nine Bridges Golf Clubhouse Yeoju, South Korea (2010) Photo by Hiroyuki Hirai courtesy of Shigeru Ban Architects Photo by Hiroyuki Hirai courtesy of Shigeru Ban Architects **** Wall-Less House Nagano, Japan (1997) Photo by Hiroyuki Hirai courtesy of Shigeru Ban Architects Photo by Hiroyuki Hirai courtesy of Shigeru Ban Architects **** Hualin Temporary Elementary School Chengdu, China (2008) Photo by Li Jun courtesy of Shigeru Ban Architects Photo by Li Jun courtesy of Shigeru Ban Architects **** Container Temporary Housing Onagawa, Miyagi, Japan (2011) Photo by Hiroyuki Hirai courtesy of Shigeru Ban Architects Photo by Hiroyuki Hirai courtesy of Shigeru Ban Architects **** Paper Log House Kobe, Japan (1995) Photo by Hiroyuki Hirai courtesy of Shigeru Ban Architects Photo by Hiroyuki Hirai courtesy of Shigeru Ban Architects **** Paper Refugee Shelters for Rwanda Byumba Refugee Camp, Rwanda (1999) Photo by Shigeru Ban Architects Photo by Shigeru Ban Architects **** Paper Partition System 4 Japan (2011) Photo by Voluntary Architects’ Network courtesy of Shigeru Ban Architects Photo by Voluntary Architects’ Network courtesy of Shigeru Ban Architects Watch chief arts correspondent Jeffery Brown’s conversation with Shigeru Ban. By — Victoria Fleischer Victoria Fleischer @vlfleischer
Paper, a traditional material for home interiors in Japan, is not exactly a typical architectural construction material anywhere else. But this year’s winner of the Pritzker Architecture Prize has shown that he can create beautiful structures for shelter, culture and worship from the humble cardboard tube. Photo by Shigeru Ban ArchitectsShigeru Ban, who has designed a wide variety of structures, is known for his humanitarian efforts with disaster victims. The Tokyo-born architect has created recyclable shelters for low cost, starting back in Rwanda during the 1994 conflict that left millions without stable living conditions. The UN Refugee Agency made Ban a consultant after he proposed the creation of shelters out of paper tubes. Ban has provided housing assistance in countries all over the world, including Haiti, China, India and Turkey. In 1995, he designed cardboard houses and a “Paper Church” community center for victims of the earthquake in Kobe, Japan. According to the Pritzker Prize, he attributes his desire to use recyclable materials to Japanese culture and his upbringing. The 56-year-old architect also designed the Pompidou Centre-Metz modern and contemporary art museum in France, the Japan Pavilion at the 2000 Hannover Expo in Germany, as well as other innovative structures for private clients. **** See photos of several of Ban’s creations below: Exterior of the Japan Pavilion, Expo 2000 Hannover, Germany (2000) Photo by Hiroyuki Hirai courtesy of Shigeru Ban Architects **** Curtain Wall House Tokyo, Japan (1995) Photo by Hiroyuki Hirai courtesy of Shigeru Ban Architects Photo by Hiroyuki Hirai courtesy of Shigeru Ban Architects **** Cardboard Cathedral Christchurch, New Zealand (2013) Photo by Stephen Goodenough courtesy of Shigeru Ban Architects Photo by Stephen Goodenough courtesy of Shigeru Ban Architects **** Paper Concert Hall L’Aquila, Italy (2011) Photo by Didier Boy de la Tour courtesy of Shigeru Ban Architects Photo by Didier Boy de la Tour courtesy of Shigeru Ban Architects **** Haesley Nine Bridges Golf Clubhouse Yeoju, South Korea (2010) Photo by Hiroyuki Hirai courtesy of Shigeru Ban Architects Photo by Hiroyuki Hirai courtesy of Shigeru Ban Architects **** Wall-Less House Nagano, Japan (1997) Photo by Hiroyuki Hirai courtesy of Shigeru Ban Architects Photo by Hiroyuki Hirai courtesy of Shigeru Ban Architects **** Hualin Temporary Elementary School Chengdu, China (2008) Photo by Li Jun courtesy of Shigeru Ban Architects Photo by Li Jun courtesy of Shigeru Ban Architects **** Container Temporary Housing Onagawa, Miyagi, Japan (2011) Photo by Hiroyuki Hirai courtesy of Shigeru Ban Architects Photo by Hiroyuki Hirai courtesy of Shigeru Ban Architects **** Paper Log House Kobe, Japan (1995) Photo by Hiroyuki Hirai courtesy of Shigeru Ban Architects Photo by Hiroyuki Hirai courtesy of Shigeru Ban Architects **** Paper Refugee Shelters for Rwanda Byumba Refugee Camp, Rwanda (1999) Photo by Shigeru Ban Architects Photo by Shigeru Ban Architects **** Paper Partition System 4 Japan (2011) Photo by Voluntary Architects’ Network courtesy of Shigeru Ban Architects Photo by Voluntary Architects’ Network courtesy of Shigeru Ban Architects Watch chief arts correspondent Jeffery Brown’s conversation with Shigeru Ban.