Shigeru Ban
The list of architects with the Princess of Asturias Award was not short, but in the 2022 edition Shigeru Ban joined Niemeyer, Oíza, Calatrava, Foster, Moneo, and Gehry, although not in the category of ‘Arts’ but for ‘Concord.’ As the foundation responsible for the prizes announced, this honor awarded to Ban wanted to recognize his focus on sustainability in architecture, his projects for emergencies and humanitarian crises, and in general, the positive impact of his work on society. Born in Tokyo in 1957, Ban trained as an architect in the United States during the seventies, before returning to his city to set up his first professional office. His moment of conversion happened soon, when he learned that three million refugees were living out in the open in Rwanda and decided to take a proposal in person to the UN headquarters in Geneva: a structure of cardboard tubes that would prevent the deforestation of Rwandan forests. It was the first time that this project, one of the hallmarks of his career, was used. That same year, 1995, he would use it in his country after the Kobe earthquake. The rest of the story is well-known.
AV Monografías 195: Shigeru Ban
El Cultural: Shigeru Ban, de la arquitectura de urgencia a los encargos de las élites
Paper partitioning system, Fukushima
