Lecture date: 2006-11-24
‘Architecture unifies diverse phenomena that constitute a state of place, manifested contingently as boundary surfaces – like a soap bubble perhaps. Although a soap bubble defines an inside and an outside, its form is simultaneously dependent on the balance between these two environments. Similarly, architecture comprises delicate boundaries that may accommodate the fluidity of various contemporary phenomena. It distinguishes between adjacent conditions and acts as a mobile interface that connects adjoining phenomena.’ Hitoshi Abe presents six keywords (Form; Building Type; Body; Soft Boundary; Interface; Foam Space) that are important in his design and tries to categorize his work according to those keywords.
Hitoshi Abe founded Atelier Hitoshi Abe in 1993 in Sendai, Japan, having worked with Coop Himmelblau in LA for several years. Atelier Hitoshi Abe’s work has been published internationally and received numerous awards in Japan. Key projects include the Miyagi Water Tower in Shiroishi, the n-house in Tokyo, the Neige Lune Fleur restaurant in Sendai, and Miyagi Stadium in Rifu.
Hitoshi Abe is a professor in the Department of Architecture and Building Science at Tohoku University.
