LDF 2012: Revelling in the tangled web architect Akihisa Hirata weaves

Date
21 September 2012

Architect Akihisa Hirata was part of the Japanese pavilion that just won the top prize at the Venice Architecture Biennale, but rather than shoot off on a champagne-fuelled celebratory speedboat tour harassing gondolas, he’s headed to London for his first international solo show.

This rising star has created an extraordinary continuous loop at The Architecture Foundation around which are exhibited sketches, models, films and even a soundscape.

His design philosophy centres on following nature’s lead to create beautiful,geometric solutions to problems and the set-up of this show mirrors his obsession with the idea that form, function and the interplay between natural and man-made are all tangled together in the architect’s mission.

He said: "The architecture of the future should be linked to the nature of living things. Architecture is the realisation of new horizons that are not only linked to the vast expanse of architectural history, but also to the history of the human race and life itself. Considering architecture as a tangle leads us closer to these new horizons and hopes.”

Tangling Runs at The Architecture Foundation until November 1.

Above

Akihisa Hirata: Tangling (courtesy Daniel Hewitt)

Above

Akihisa Hirata: Tangling (courtesy Daniel Hewitt)

Above

Akihisa Hirata: Tangling (courtesy Daniel Hewitt)

Above

Akihisa Hirata: Tangling (courtesy Daniel Hewitt)

Above

Akihisa Hirata: Tangling (courtesy Daniel Hewitt)

Above

Akihisa Hirata: Tangling (courtesy Daniel Hewitt)

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About the Author

Rob Alderson

Rob joined It’s Nice That as Online Editor in July 2011 before becoming Editor-in-Chief and working across all editorial projects including itsnicethat.com, Printed Pages, Here and Nicer Tuesdays. Rob left It’s Nice That in June 2015.

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