Toyo Ito is a renowned Japanese architect born in 1941. He graduated from the University of Tokyo in 1965 and started his own studio, Urban Robot, in 1971 which was later renamed Toyo Ito & Associates, Architects in 1979. Ito has received numerous prestigious awards for his works such as the Sendai Mediatheque from the Architectural Institute of Japan and the Royal Gold Medal from RIBA. Some of his notable works include the T House, Sendai Mediatheque, and Agricultural Park Oita which make innovative use of materials like aluminum and concrete to create a spatial lightness in modern architecture.

1. Toyo Ito
Honorary Fellowship of AIA
Honorary Fellowship of RIBA
Biography
1941 Born in Seoul Metropolitan City
1965 Graduated from The University of Tokyo, Department of Architecture
Worked at Kiyonori Kikutake Architects and Associates
1971 Started his own studio, Urban Robot (URBOT) in Tokyo
1979 Changed its name to Toyo Ito & Associates, Architects
Awards and Prizes
1986 Architecture Institute of Japan awards for “Silver Hut”
1992 33rd Mainich Art Award for Yatsushiro Municipal Museum
1998 Ministry of Education Award for the Encouragement of Arts for “Dome in Odate”
1999 Japan Art Academy Prize for “Dome in Odate”
2000 Accorded the Title “Academician” from The International Academy of Architecture
2001 Grand Prize of Good Design Award 2001 from
Japan Industrial Design Promotion Organization (JIDPO) for “Sendai Mediatheque”
2002 Golden Lion for Lifetime Achievement of the
8th International Architecture Exhibition NEXT at the Venice Biennale
2003 Architectural Institute of Japan Prize for “Sendai Mediatheque”
2004 XX ADI Compasso d’Oro Award for “Ripples” (furniture design)
2006 Royal Gold Medal from The Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA)
Public Building Award for “Sendai Mediatheque”
2008 ADI Compasso d’Oro Award for the Stand Horm 2005
6th Austrian Frederick Kiesler Prize for Architecture and the Arts
2009 Medalla de Oro from Circulo de Bellas Artes de Madrid
2010 2009 The Asahi Prize

2. Christopher Alexander (1936) Tadao Ando (1941) Daniel Libeskind (1946)
Book: Pattern Language Church of Light, Osaka, Japan Jewish Museum, Berlin
Bernard Tchumi (1944)
New acropolis museum, Athens
Year 1937 1943 1944
1936 1941 1946
Renzo Piano (1937) Mario Botta (1943) Rem Koolhaas (1944)
Pompidou Centre, Paris, France MOMA, San Francisco Casa da Musica, Porto
TOYO ITO’S CONTEMPORARIES

3. Book: Description:
T House in Yutenji. The “Blurring Architecture” exhibition that toured around three appealing cities:
Location Setagaya-ku, Tokyo, Japan Aachen, Tokyo and Antwerp, has been recorded in this publication.
Structure Reinforced concrete It also critically analyses the story behind how ”White U”(1976)
Scale 2 stories evolved into the “Sendai Mediatheque”(2000) in six different aspects:
Reproduction / Drawing / Simulation / Model / Photography / Text
Sendai Mediatheque.
Location Aoba-ku, Sendai, Miyagi, Japan
Notsuharu Town Hall. Structure Steel frame, reinforced concrete
Location Oita-gun, Oita, Japan Scale 7 stories, 2 basements
Structure Steel frame
Scale 2 stories
Year 1999 2000
Agricultural Park Oita.
T Hall in Shimane Location Hayami-gun, Oita, Japan
Location Hikawa-gun, Shimane, Japan Structure Reinforced concrete, steel frame
Structure Reinforced concrete, steel frame Scale 2 stories
Scale 4 stories
EXPO 2000 Hannover, "Health Futures" Pavilion (Installation)
Location Hannover, Germany
TIME LINE of parallel work. Structure Steel frame
Scale 1 story

4. Aluminum House in Sakurajosui
Location Setagaya-ku, Japan
Period 1997.10~2000.1
Structure Aluminum frame
Scale 2 stories
Site Area 183.98m2
Building Area 86.4m2
Total Floor Area 109.08m2

5. Techtonics of the House:
This is a private residence in Tokyo. With the use of rib reinforced aluminum panels for floors
and walls and aluminum for all other structural elements, the intent of the design was
to create a spatial lightness that could not be achieved by other structural means.
By utilizing the structural characteristic of aluminum, the focus was mainly on two potentialities:
The unity of structure and finish by its use as a surface material,
The compression of multiple functions into extruded sectional elements.
By applying aluminum as surface material for structural walls and floors, it could simultaneously be
used as a finish material. We considered that the totality of the design would produce lightness if the load were
dispersed throughout the structure that extended over a surface, rather than intensifying it to specific parts,
thus accommodating slender individual structural members. The aluminum can easily be extruded into complex
sectional elements with extremely high precision.
Employing this property in this project, we attempted to incorporate multiple functions, including
structural strength, into one sectional form, ie columns that serve as window sash frames.
The presence of the structure is diffused both as a result of the structure being integrated
with sash and exterior elements, as well as by the unique materiality of aluminum.
The variety of details that typically develop become inconspicuous as they are absorbed into extruded sections.
The high precision assured by advanced techniques changes the conventional perception that details
must consist of offsets and joints and brings the composition of a building closer to that of an industrial product.

7. 3 4 6
7 8
9 5 9
7
2
1
4½ mats 9 ft x 9 ft
6 mats 9 ft x 12 ft
8 mats 12 ft x 12 ft Program: 5. Living Room
1. Entrance 6. Guest Room
2. Tatami Room 7. Toilet
3. Bedroom 8. Terrace
4. Kitchen 9. Void

8. House in Sakurajosui
Location Setagaya-ku, Japan
Period 1974.7~1975.4
Structure wood frame
Scale 2 srories
Site Area 85.95m2
Building Area 42.53m2
Total Floor Area 80.20m2

9. Aluminum House
Location Fujisawa, Kanagawa, Japan
Period 1970.9~1971.5
Structure wood frame
Scale 2 srories
Site Area 379.18m2
Building Area 84.24m2
Total Floor Area 110.16m2

10. Aluminium Cottage
Location Minamikoma-gun, Japan
Period 2002.6~2004.8
Structure Aluminum structure
Scale 2 stories
Site Area 8,300.00m2
Building Area 57.42m2
Total Floor Area 74.44m2

11. Sources:
Journal: Japan Architect (JA): 37 Spring 2000
Journal: Detail: 2001.4
Book: Sendai Mediatheque - Toyo Ito - Actar Publishing
Book: Toyo Ito - Phaidon Publishing
Book: Blurring Architecture - Toyo Ito - Charta Publishing
Website: http://www.toyo-ito.co.jp/
Website: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tatami