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Wilmington, North Carolina once had a thriving Black middle class and an elected interracial government. In 1898 white supremacists used violence to overthrow that government, kill Black residents and drive many others from the city.
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This is a personal recollection on the Move fire on May 13, 1985
Shigeru Ban | |
|---|---|
| 坂 茂 | |
 Shigeru Ban, 2011 | |
| Born | 5 August 1957 Tokyo, Japan |
| Education | Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art |
| Occupation | Architect |
| Spouse | Masako Ban |
| Awards | Pritzker Prize (2014) |
| Buildings |
|
| Website | www |
Shigeru Ban (坂 茂, Ban Shigeru; born 5 August 1957)[2] is a Japanese architect, known for his innovative work with paper, particularly recycled cardboard tubes used to quickly and efficiently house disaster victims. Many of his notable designs are structures which are temporary, prefabricated, or incorporate inexpensive and unconventional materials in innovative ways. He was profiled by Time magazine in their projection of 21st-century innovators in the field of architecture and design.[3]
In 2014, Ban was named the 37th recipient of the Pritzker Architecture Prize, the most prestigious prize in modern architecture.[4] The Pritzker Jury cited Ban for his innovative use of material and his dedication to humanitarian efforts around the world, calling him "a committed teacher who is not only a role model for younger generation, but also an inspiration."[4]
Ban was born in Tokyo. He studied at the Southern California Institute of Architecture. Later he went to Cooper Union's School of Architecture, where he studied under John Hejduk and graduated in 1984.[2] From Hejduk (who was a part of the New York Five), Ban gained an interest in "architectonic poetics" or the creation of "three-dimensional poetry". Hejduk, the most experimentally minded of the New York Five,[citation needed] had a lasting influence on Ban, whose work reflects continuing explorations into basic geometric elements.[citation needed] Ban's formal explorations with basic building materials helped to lead him into unique structural solutions.
For Ban, one of the most important themes in his work is the "invisible structure". That is, he does not overly express his structural elements, but rather chooses to incorporate them into the design. Ban is not interested in the newest materials and techniques, but rather the expression of the concept behind his building. He deliberately chooses materials to further this expression.
Ban's work encompasses several schools of architecture. First he is a Japanese architect, and uses many themes and methods found in traditional Japanese architecture (such as shōji) and the idea of a "universal floor" to allow continuity between all rooms in a house. In his buildings, this translates to a floor without change in elevation. By choosing to study under Hejduk, Ban opted to do something different. Hejduk's rationalist views on architecture provided a way of revisiting Western modernism and gaining a richer appreciation than the reductive vision of it as a rationalized version of the traditionalist—yet ultra-modern—Japanese space. With his Western education and influences, Ban has become one of the forerunning Japanese architects who embrace the expression of Western and Eastern building forms and methods. Perhaps most influential from Hejduk was the study of the structure of architectural systems. Ban is most famous now for his innovative work with paper and cardboard tubing as a building material. He was the first architect in Japan to construct a building primarily out of paper with his paper house, and required special approval for his building to pass Japan's building code. Ban is attracted to using paper because it is low cost, recyclable, low-tech and replaceable. The last aspect of Ban's influences is his humanitarianism and his attraction to ecological architecture. Ban's work with paper and other materials is heavily based on its sustainability and because it produces very little waste. As a result of this, Ban's DIY refugee shelters (used in Japan after the Kobe earthquake, in Turkey, Rwanda and around the world) are very popular and effective for low-cost disaster relief-housing.[5]
Ban created the Japanese pavilion building at Expo 2000 in Hanover, Germany in collaboration with the architect Frei Otto and structural engineers Buro Happold. The 72-metre-long gridshell structure was made with paper tubes. But due to stringent building laws in Germany, the roof had to be reinforced with a substructure. After the exhibition the structure was recycled and returned to paper pulp.[3]
Ban fits well into the category of "Ecological Architects" but he also can make solid claims for being modernist, a Japanese experimentalist, as well as a rationalist. Natias Neutert, German thinker, critic, and poet, marks Ban in his essay as "a gentle revolutionary ... guiding contemporary architecture towards transparency, the spherical and the open".[6] Ban himself quotes: "I don't like waste", summing up his philosophy and practice, known as "Paper Architecture".
In June 2020, he and other architects, as well as chefs, Nobel laureates in Economics and leaders of international organizations, signed the appeal in favour of the purple economy ("Towards a cultural renaissance of the economy"), published in Corriere della Sera,[7] El País[8] and Le Monde.[9]
In 1995, Ban established the Voluntary Architects' Network, a Tokyo based NGO that develops temporary buildings for use after natural disasters and conflicts.[10][11]
Ban's experimental development of paper tubing structures came in 1986, before any of his programmatic commissions. He found paper's structural integrity to be much better than expected and noted that it is also available all around the world. The structures are most commonly available from manufacturers providing paper tubes for use in textile factories, as in the case with the disaster relief shelters project in Ahmedabad, India.[12]
Limited material availability during times of disaster relief reconstruction is a major concern and involves increased market prices. Paper tubing on the other hand, not being a typical building material, is comparatively inexpensive and very accessible. In a special case in Turkey in 1999, Ban was able to get paper tubing for free. Paper tubing also proved advantageous for building emergency shelters during the Rwanda refugee crisis in 1994, where the use of trees for framing was creating deforestation problems, and alternative construction materials were difficult to find. The United Nations supplemented wood with aluminum piping but this was very expensive, and in the end the refugees sold off the aluminum for money. The refugees then reverted to cutting trees for building materials.[13] Switching to paper tubing for frames helped save money, prevent theft and conserve the local trees. Ban's paper tube shelter design from Rwanda's Byumba Refugee Camp was featured in a PBS NewsHour story.[14]
In 1995, the magnitude 7.2 Great Hanshin earthquake devastated Kobe, Japan, which offered a reconstruction project to Ban.[15] Not only are the temporary shelters very cheap and easy to develop as they incorporate community participation, but they offer more versatile living conditions compared to traditionally used tents. The 16-square-metre (172 sq ft) modules have paper tubing for walls, with small ventilation gaps between the members, which can also be taped up to insulate.[16]The roof was made from a waterproof tenting material while the foundation consisted of donated beer crates filled with sandbags.[17]
Ban's interest in using existing materials aligned with his minimalist ideology. There was never a question of manufacturing a different paper material as current technologies such as waterproofing films, polyurethane and acrylic paints can be used to improve its material properties.[18] In the design of "The Paper Dome" in 1998, paper as an innovative building material had to meet the rigorous construction codes, so a great deal of structural engineering data was submitted to the government. In this project straight paper tube joists were connected by laminated timber joints. Although the joints were expensive, the low price of the paper tubing made for an inexpensive overall budget.[19] In addition, the 6-foot (1.8 m) paper tubes were waterproofed with liquid urethane to minimize expansion and contraction due to humidity variances found in Osaka-Cho Japan.[20]
Another project, the Expo 2000 Japanese Pavilion, in Hannover, Germany, also used paper tubing but at much longer dimensions of 67 feet (20 m) with 4.75-inch (121 mm) diameters, at a less than 1 inch (25 mm) thickness. It was also waterproofed both inside and out by a coating of polyurethane to meet testing requirements for extreme weather conditions and fire protection. Surprisingly, the paper tubes are very difficult to burn due to the high density of the material. Ban's design allowed for full recyclability of the Japanese Pavilion, in keeping with Expo 2000's theme of environmental awareness. Fabric tape was used instead of mechanical joinery. The fabric tape allowed for complicated movement, and also naturally post tensioned the structure.[19] The main tunnel of the pavilion was designed as an incredibly large space, at 242 by 82 by 52 feet (74 m × 25 m × 16 m) (L × W × H).[21] The fabric tape was used with a buckle system which allowed for manual construction and dismantling. Due to the strict building codes in Germany and the unconventional use of paper as a revolutionary building material, the Japanese Pavilion had to be over-designed and incorporate wooden elements, thus, becoming more of a hybrid structure. An innovative design feature was Ban's use of recyclable wooden boxes filled with sand instead of a concrete foundation.[22]
In the 2024 Taschen release of Shigeru Ban's Complete Works 1985–Today,[23] the architect named among his primary inspirations the Japanese structural engineer Gengo Matsui, who helped him develop paper as a structural material for his projects. When describing the collaborative process between him as the architect and Gengo Matsui as the structural engineer, Shigeru Ban recalls: "He taught me to see the structural engineering process visually, almost intuitively".[24]
In July 2015, Ban began a project to rebuild homes for the victims of that year's Nepal earthquake.[25] The structures of the homes are wood framed for flexibility and built fully with brick walls. The homes are thus quickly and easily built. Also, the Nepalese can use them for many other purposes, such as schools.
Ban is currently a professor at Keio University. Previously, he taught at institutions including Harvard University, Columbia University, Cornell University, Kyoto University of Art and Design, Nihon University, Tama Art University, and Yokohama National University.[26]
 | This section of a biography of a living person needs additional citations for verification. (January 2024) |
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Source: Wikipedia. Article content is retrieved live through the MediaWiki API.
Shigeru Ban (坂 茂, Ban Shigeru; born 5 August 1957) is a Japanese architect, known for his innovative work with paper, particularly recycled cardboard tubes used to quickly and efficiently house disaster victims. Many of his notable designs are structures which are temporary, prefabricated, or incorporate inexpensive and unconventional materials in innovative ways. He was profiled by Time magazine in their projection of 21st-century innovators in the field of architecture and design. In 2014, Ban was named the 37th recipient of the Pritzker Architecture Prize, the most prestigious prize in modern architecture. The Pritzker Jury cited Ban for his innovative use of material and his dedication to humanitarian efforts around the world, calling him "a committed teacher who is not only a role model for younger generation, but also an inspiration."
Shigeru (written: 茂, 繁, 滋, しげる in hiragana or シゲル in katakana) is a masculine Japanese given name. Notable people with the name include: Shigeru Aburaya (油谷 繁; born 1977), Japanese long-distance runner Shigeru Akabane (赤羽 茂; 1941–2011), Japanese professional midget wrestler Shigeru Amachi (天知 茂; 1931–1985), Japanese actor Shigeru Aoki (青木 繁; 1882–1911), Japanese painter Shigeru Aoyama (青山 繁; born 1969), Japanese former volleyball player Shigeru Baba (馬場 滋; born 1948), Japanese professional Go player Shigeru Ban (坂 茂; born 1957), Japanese architect Shigeru Chiba (千葉 繁; born 1954), Japanese voice actor Shigeru Chiba (baseball) (千葉 茂; 1919–2002), Japanese baseball second baseman Shigeru Dōko (堂故 茂; born 1952), Japanese politician Shigeru Egami (江上 茂; 1912–1981), Japanese karateka Shigeru Endo (遠藤 茂; born 1945), Japanese sport wrestler Shigeru Fujita (藤田 茂; 1889–1980), Japanese career military officer and lieutenant general Shigeru Fukudome (福留 繁; 1891–1971), Japanese admiral and Chief Shigeru Honjō (本庄 繁; 1876–1945), Japanese general Shigeru Hori (保利 茂; 1901–1979), Japanese prominent politician Shigeru Iitaka (飯高 茂; born 1942), Japanese mathematician Shigeru Inoda (伊野田 繁; 1955–2008), Japanese ophthalmologist, surgeon and amateur astronomer Shigeru Ishiba (石破 茂; born 1957), Japanese politician Shigeru Ishimoto (石本 茂; 1913–2007), Japanese politician Shigeru Itō (伊藤茂; 1928–2016), Japanese socialist politician Shigeru Iwasaki (岩崎 茂; born 1953), Japanese military officer Shigeru Izumi (泉 茂; 1922–1995), Japanese painter and printmaker Shigeru Izumiya (泉谷 しげる; born 1948), Japanese actor and singer Shigeru Joshima (城島 茂; born 1970), Japanese musician, actor and agricultural entrepreneur Shigeru Kaga (加賀 繁; born 1985), Japanese professional baseball player Shigeru Kan-no (菅野 茂; born 1959), Japanese composer and conductor Shigeru Kasahara (笠原 茂; 1933-1990), Japanese lightweight freestyle wrestler Shigeru Kasamatsu (笠松 茂; born 1947), Japanese artistic gymnast Shigeru Katagiri (片桐 茂; 1892–1944), Japanese general Shigeru Kayano (萱野 茂; 1926–2006), Japanese Ainu activist Shigeru Kitamura (北村 滋; born 1956), Japanese police officer Shigeru Kitayama (北山 茂), Japanese anime producer Shigeru Kobayashi (小林 繁; 1952–2010), Japanese baseball player Shigeru Komatsubara (小松原 茂; born 1949), Japanese cinematographer Shigeru Konno (金野 滋; 1922–2007), Japanese rugby player Shigeru Kōyama (神山 繁; 1929–2017), Japanese actor Shigeru Kurihara (栗原 茂; born 1970), Japanese gymnast Shigeru Kuzuhara (葛原 しげる; 1886–1961), Japanese children's poet, children's song writer, fairy tale writer and educator Shigeru Makino (牧野 茂; 1928–1984), Japanese baseball shortstop, second baseman and coach Shigeru Matsuzaki (松崎 しげる; born 1949), Japanese singer and actor Shigeru Miyagawa (宮川 滋; born 1948), Japanese rower Shigeru Mizuhara (水原 茂; 1909–1982), Japanese former professional baseball infielder and manager Shigeru Mizuki (水木 しげる; 1922 – 2015), expert on yokai and creator of the popular manga series Ge Ge Ge no Kitaro, and others Shigeru Mogi (茂木 滋; born 1973), Japanese voice actor Shigeru Morikasa (森笠 繁; born 1976), Japanese baseball player Shigeru Morioka (森岡 茂; born 1973), Japanese former football player Shigeru Morita (森田茂; 1907–2009), Japanese painter Shigeru Mukai (向井 茂; born 1953), Japanese mathematician Shigeru Muroi (室井 滋; born 1958), Japanese actress Shigeru Nakahara (中原 茂; born 1961), Japanese voice actor Shigeru Nakajima (中島 重; 1888–1946), Japanese legal scholar, sociologist, and Christian thinker Shigeru Nakamura (renju player) (中村 茂; born 1959), Japanese renju player Shigeru Nakanishi (中西 繁; born 1946), Japanese artist Shigeru Nakayama (中山 茂; 1928–2014), Japanese historian of science Shigeru Nambara (南原 繁; 1889–1974), Japanese political scientist Shigeru Nanba (難波 滋; born 1944), Japanese painter and artist Shigeru Narahara (奈良原 繁; 1834–1918), Japanese politician Shigeru Nonaka (野仲 茂; born 1970), Japanese professional golfer Shigeru Oda (小田 滋; 1924–2025), Japanese jurist, judge on the International Court of Justice from 1976 to 2003 Shigeru Ohmori (大森 滋; born 1980), Japanese video game director, designer, and developer Shigeru Okaizumi (岡泉 茂; born 1968), Japanese retired judoka Shigeru Omi (尾身 茂; born 1949), Japanese President of the Japan Community Health Care Organization Shigeru Onishi (大西 茂; 1928–1994), Japanese visual artist Shigeru Ota (太田 茂; born 1967), Japanese former professional tennis player Shigeru Oyama (大山 茂; 1936–2016), Japanese karateka Shigeru Saeki (佐伯 繁; born 1969), Japanese mixed martial arts promoter Shigeru Sahashi (佐橋 滋; 1913–1993), Japanese government official Shigeru Sakurai (桜井 繁; born 1979), Japanese former football player Shigeru Sawada (沢田 茂; 1887–1980), Japanese general Shigeru Shimada (島田 繁; born 1935), Japanese ice hockey player Shigeru Shirai (白井 滋; 1957–2020), Japanese ichthyologist Shigeru So (宗 茂; born 1953), Japanese retired long-distance runner Shigeru Sugimura (杉村 繁; born 1957), Japanese former Nippon Professional Baseball infielder Shigeru Sugishita (杉下 茂; 1925–2023), Japanese professional baseball pitcher and coach Shigeru Sugita (杉田 茂; 1947–2025), Japanese bodybuilding champion Shigeru Sugiura (杉浦 茂; 1908–2000), Japanese manga artist Shigeru Suzuki (鈴木 茂; born 1951), Japanese musician, songwriter and guitarist Shigeru Tagawa (田川 茂; born 1975), Japanese long jumper Shigeru Takada (高田 繁; born 1951), Japanese former general manager of the Yokohama DeNA BayStars Shigeru Takahashi (高橋 茂), Japanese football player Shigeru Takashina (1943–2013), Japanese karateka Shigeru Tamura (photographer) (田村 茂; 1909–1987), Japanese photographer Shigeru Tamura (illustrator) (田村 茂; born 1949), Japanese illustrator, animator, filmmaker and manga artist Shigeru Tonomura (外村 繁; 1902–1961), Japanese author Shigeru Tsuyuguchi (露口 茂; 1932–2025), Japanese actor Shigeru Uchida (golfer) (内田 繁; born 1937), Japanese professional golfer Shigeru Uchida (politician) (内田 茂; 1939–2022), Japanese politician Shigeru Ueda (上田 繁; born 1963), Japanese anime storyboard artist and director Shigeru Uehara (上原 繁; born 1947), Japanese automotive engineer Shigeru Umebayashi (梅林 茂; born 1951), Japanese film score composer Shigeru Ushiyama (牛山 茂; born 1952), Japanese actor and voice actor Shigeru Wakatsuki (若槻 繁; 1914 or 1915 – 1987), Japanese film producer and journalist Shigeru Yagi (八木 茂; born 1950), Japanese murderer, former hostess club owner and possible serial killer Shigeru Yokotani (横谷 繁; born 1987), Japanese footballer Shigeru Yoshida (吉田 茂; 1878–1967), Japanese diplomat and politician, Prime Minister Shigeru Yoshida (civil servant) (吉田 茂; 1885–1954), Japanese bureaucrat and politician
Contemporary architecture is the architecture of the 21st century. No single style is dominant. Contemporary architects work in several different styles, from postmodernism, high-tech architecture and new references and interpretations of traditional architecture like New Classical architecture to highly conceptual forms and designs, resembling sculpture on an enormous scale. Some of these styles and approaches make use of very advanced technology and modern building materials, such as tube structures which allow construction of buildings that are taller, lighter and stronger than those in the 20th century, while others prioritize the use of natural and ecological materials like stone, wood and lime. One technology that is common to all forms of contemporary architecture is the use of new techniques of computer-aided design, which allow buildings to be designed and modeled on computers in three dimensions, and constructed with more precision and speed. Contemporary buildings and styles vary greatly. Some feature concrete structures wrapped in glass or aluminium screens, very asymmetric facades, and cantilevered sections which hang over the street. Skyscrapers twist, or break into crystal-like facets. Facades are designed to shimmer or change color at different times of day. Whereas the major monuments of modern architecture in the 20th century were mostly concentrated in the Americas and Western Europe, contemporary architecture is global; important new buildings have been built in China, Russia, India and particularly in Arab states of the Persian Gulf; the Burj Khalifa in Dubai was the tallest building in the world in 2019, and the Shanghai Tower in China was the second-tallest. Additionally, in the late 20th century, New Classical Architecture, a traditionalist response to modernist architecture, emerged, continuing into the 21st century. The 21st century saw the emergence of multiple organizations dedicated to the promotion of traditional architecture. Examples include the International Network for Traditional Building, Architecture & Urbanism (INTBAU), the Institute of Classical Architecture & Art (ICAA), the Driehaus Architecture Prize. Contemporary traditional architects include Michael Graves, Léon Krier, Yasmeen Lari, Robert Stern and Abdel-Wahed El-Wakil. Recently, in the realm of contemporary architecture, a philosophy known as "New Contextualism" has emerged, primarily coined and propagated by Bangladeshi architect and academic Mohammad Habib Reza. This approach advocates for creating built environments that are profoundly informed by both historical precedents and future predictions, while embracing a holistic understanding of context. Unlike universalist or purely modernist perspectives, New Contextualism emphasizes the deep integration of a design within its specific setting, considering not only the immediate site but also broader universal values, regional characteristics, and the socio-cultural fabric of a place. It stresses the importance of equity, social justice, and the revitalization of vernacular building traditions to achieve sustainable and inclusive designs. The philosophy encourages the use of data analytics and scenario planning to anticipate future needs and challenges, aiming for timeless yet adaptable architectural solutions. Most of the landmarks of contemporary architecture are the works of a small group of architects who work on an international scale. Many were designed by architects already famous in the late 20th century, including Mario Botta, Frank Gehry, Jean Nouvel, Norman Foster, Ieoh Ming Pei, Dariush Borbor and Renzo Piano, while others are the work of a new generation born during or after World War II, including Zaha Hadid, Santiago Calatrava, Daniel Libeskind, Jacques Herzog, Pierre de Meuron, Rem Koolhaas, and Shigeru Ban. Other projects are the work of collectives of several architects, such as UNStudio and SANAA, or large multinational agencies such as Skidmore, Owings & Merrill, with thirty associate architects and large teams of engineers and designers, and Gensler, with 5,000 employees in 16 countries.
Kengo Kuma (隈 研吾, Kuma Kengo; born August 8, 1954) is a Japanese architect and emeritus professor in the Department of Architecture at the University of Tokyo. Frequently compared to contemporaries Shigeru Ban and Kazuyo Sejima, Kuma designed the Japan National Stadium in Tokyo, built for the 2020 Summer Olympics.
Before the 1921 destruction of Tulsa’s Greenwood District, Black residents had created a remarkable center of business and community life. The district included stores, professional offices, entertainment venues and homes owned by Black citizens. Understanding Greenwood means learning what was built—not only what was burned.
MORE →Brown v. Board of Education in 1954.