[In Singapore]9th November 2018, TOTO Asia Oceania, successfully held its second architect seminar programme in Singapore that attracted more than 1,200 attendees. It featured Shigeru Ban as the main speaker, a widely recognised young rising star who is anticipated to be part of the next generation of world-class Japanese architects. Themed “Works and Humanitarian Activities”, along with TOTO Gallery MA, TOTO’s not-for-profit gallery in Tokyo that promotes architecture and design.

Awarded the Pritzker Architecture Prize - also known as "Nobel Prize of Architecture” in 2014 as recognition of the broad range of his architectural activities, Shigeru Ban is a well-awarded Japanese architect of international acclaim. Shigeru Ban have shared with the students and professionals his works over the past 20 years, the history from early work that served as the trigger to use paper tubes as material to the recent work using wood building materials, and the real significance of the works that took advantage of the properties of materials. He will further explain his disaster relief support activities in parallel with his works, including the Paper Church that was relocated from Kobe to Taiwan, and mention the role of an architect in society.

“With TOTO’s ongoing commitment to art and architecture, we have launched this evening’s architect seminar programme, featuring Shigeru Ban and prominent architects from government, industry and education in Singapore. Through this event, we hope to inspire young Singaporeans towards art and architecture, and to provide a platform for idea sharing and engagement among local architects. ” said Mr Daijiro Nogata, President of TOTO Asia Oceania.

We have also specially invited Prof. Jason Pomeroy from the Pomeroy Studio as the guest emcee to commerce the event.

At the seminar, a panel discussion was also carried out where Shigeru Ban was joined by 4 students, Prof. Jason Pomeroy and Prof. Erwin. They discussed on the thoughts behind Shigeru Ban’s work, how the modern architectural has impacted people and how using of technology causes an opposite impact to the modern architecture building. 

Date: Friday, 9th Nov 2018 (ended)
Title: “Works & Humanitarian Activities” by Shigeru Ban
Venue: Level 6, Star Theatre at THE STAR Performing Arts Centre
Time: 7:30pm- 9:30pm

Shigeru Ban

Shigeru Ban was born in 1957, the promising architect uses his ability to re-apply conventional knowledge in differing contexts has resulted in a breadth of work that is characterized by structural sophistication and unconventional techniques and materials. Ban has used these innovations not only to create beautiful architecture but as a tool to help those in need, by creating fast, economical, and sustainable housing solutions for the homeless and the displaced.