TOYO ITO Born 1 June 1941 (age 83)

ITO’S PHILOSOPHY AND WORK Seoul, Korea under

Japanese occupation
Architecture as a Tool for Transformation Nationality Japanese
Occupation Architect
Ito believed architecture can change, re-structure
Awards Pritzker Prize (2013)
and transform the society we live in. Practice Toyo Ito & Associates
A community center designed by Toyo Ito
is a great example of the development of TOTO ITO AND HIS ICONIC WORKS
local communities and the well-being of
its residents He built a space that was Sendai Mediatheque
home for all and designed the roof to The Mediatheque differs from conventional public
buildings in many ways. While the building
resemble a tree for children to have a
principally functions as a library and art gallery, the
The Soma City Home sense of playing outdoors. administration has actively worked to relax divisions
between diverse programs, removing fixed barriers
Architecture Should be Contextual to between various media to progressively evoke an
Geography and Time image of how cultural facilities should be from now
on.” – Toyo Ito
While it is crucial to keep in touch with culture Year: 2001
Location: Sendai, Japan
and nature, it is equally important for
architecture to go with the flow of time. Kaohsiung National
Throughout the design, there are Stadium
Constructed to serve as the primary venue for
minimal nods to modernity. The use
the 2009 World Championship Games. Not only
of steel structures and glass does it hold the title of the largest stadium in
facades shows his adaptation to the Taiwan in terms of capacity, but it also holds the
newer available materials in the distinction of being the world’s largest stadium
industry. powered by solar energy. In appearance, the
stadium resembles a coiled dragon, an animal
Otani Iron Works Awaji Plant that holds great significance in Asian traditions,
nestled in the landscape, featuring a significant Year: 2009
The Space Should Meet the Needs of Users space between its head and tail that acts as the Location: Kaohsiung City, Taiwan
entrance to the arena. The stadium acquired
The purpose of our work is to recognize the
nicknames from local residents like “glass
requirements and desires of those who will use snake” and “dragon’s tail.”
and dwell in these structures. Tower of Winds
Well-lit ceiling panels and Iconic structure in modern architecture and one
recessed luminaires to imitate sun of the earliest examples demonstrating the
filtering from the clouds for the significance of technology in bridging the gap
prayer hall. Simple circulation and between nature and the urban landscape by
Toyo Ito. The fact that the project was
symmetrical layout make it user-
completed in 1986 is also an indication that
friendly and quite appealing. Toyo Ito had an architectural perspective
Interior Design of Yakushiji beyond his time. The Wind Tower is a project
that integrates technology entirely into its
Temple Jikido
process, incorporating technology into the
Year: 1986
Incorporation of Natural Elements dialogue between the structure and the city.
Location: Yokohama, Japan
During the day,
Doing this not only produces more beautiful and the tower reflects the city with its reflective aluminum coating, symbolically connecting
habitable spaces but also aids in minimizing the with nature through its technological integration. The complexity of material choices in the
project accurately represents the urban fabric. At night, the tower takes on a more active
environmental effect of structures. Ito does this by role, using two computers to convert changes in wind and sound into light, illuminating its
incorporating organic materials or the inclusion of bulbs, neon rings, and projectors.

outside areas like courts and parks. Toyo Ito Museum of Architecture
Toyo ito tried to recreate the feel The museum is divided into two separate buildings,
of being in the 'forest of each referred to as a “hut,” emphasizing a primal
architectural theme. These structures, named ‘The
meditation' through this project.
Steel Hut’ and ‘The Silver Hut,’ fulfill different
The water body behind the functions within the institution: one serves as
building seamlessly integrates exhibition space, while the other is designated for
with the thin fluidic structure of the discussions and workshops.

IMeguri no Mori'Kawaguchi building. The ‘Silver Hut’ employs the same approach as Ito’s
City Funeral Hall original residence, also named the Silver Hut, which
STYLE MINIMALIST TACTICS he designed for himself in 1984. The structure
Seeking freedom from the rigidity of a grid, Ito is includes lightweight metal roof vaults and circular
Year: 2011
interested in relationships — between rooms, windows, embodying the characteristics of
exterior and interior, and building and lightness, artificiality, and mobility that
Location: Imabari, Japan
surroundings. Toyo Ito's work has drawn on characterized Ito’s interpretation of Tokyo during
inspiration from the principles of nature, as the bubble era, which greatly influenced his work.
evidenced by the unity achieved between
organic-like structures, surface and skin.
“Architects have made architecture too complex. We

2013
need to simplify it and use a language that everyone
can understand.”

HISTORY OF ARCHITECTURE
GROUP MEMBERS

PRITZKER AWARD WINING THIRD YEAR B.ARCH

DHRUAV RANDIVE
SAMIYA NADAF
DEV SHAH

ARCHITECT
ARNAV KHARE
HIMANSHU TOMAR
RUPALI SHUKLA