01 June 2017 // Sanne Schrijver //Amersfoort

//TADAO ANDO

Born in 1941, Tadao Ando is a self-taught architect whose well-known for his minimalist aesthetic and love of natural materials like glass and concrete. His buildings are marked with the four elements, including natural light that diffuses into interiors at just the right angles, pools of water that reflect his angular designs, and ventilation methods that mimic human breathing. His work is remarkable, not only for their aesthetics but also for their thoughtfulness and concern for the people they host.

Tadao Ando’s house in Japan could not be more Tadao Ando. It is quite a relief. Japan’s most fabled architect, a designer of stark and spiritual buildings, would appear to live his work, the man and his creations one and the same. His house in downtown Osaka, even if it is not where he keeps his toothbrush. Ando built it to be his home in 1995 but never moved in. You can find it listed in architecture books. “I wanted a fun place to live, a place where every day is thrilling, a quiet place to think,” he says.