Making Gravity as Lightness: Japanese Structural Architecture

"Making gravity as lightness" is often the initial impression one gets of Japanese architecture. However, beyond the traditional interpretations of culture, concepts, or styles, it is also evident that structure is the most essential element of Japanese architecture.

The journey through Japanese structural architecture spans four regions (Kansai, Seto Inland Sea, Central region, and Kanto), six cities, and three islands. It encompasses not only the works of renowned Japanese architects from various eras, such as Kazuo Shinohara, Yoshio Taniguchi, Toyo Ito, Kazunari Sakamoto, SANNA, Koichi Yasuda, Takaharu Tezuka, Junya Ishigami, and Hiroshi Nakamura, but also includes over 20 projects by some of the finest structural engineers, including Toshihiko Kimura, Masao Saito, Mutsuro Sasaki, Toru Takeuchi, Masahiro Ikeda, and Hiroshi Ono, among others. This journey offers a comprehensive view of the revolutionary power of contemporary Japanese architecture and reveals the infinite possibilities that structure and space can bring.