Fujimoto (complete Works 1994–today)

Par (auteur) Jodidio Philip; Par (artiste) Fujimoto Sou
Short description/annotation:
Fusing nature and design, Sou Fujimoto is a daringly original voice in architecture. With in-depth case studies of key works, including the Serpentine Gallery Pavilion, L’Arbre Blanc, and the Grand Ring for Expo 2025 Osaka, this is a complete portrait of an architect who is unafraid to “dismantle architecture to its limits”.
Description:

Dissolving the boundaries between nature and design, between order and uncertainty, between inside and outside, Sou Fujimoto is a daringly original voice in architecture. This comprehensive overview of his complete body of work traces his career and explores his ideas, influences, and achievements. Working from studios in Tokyo and Paris, he draws inspiration not just from the great architectural canon, but from the natural world, quantum physics, and the complexities of human interaction. He aims to create spaces that feel at once elemental and radically new.
Completed with an overview of his oeuvre, all his landmark projects are described in detail, including House N, House NA, and the Musashino Art University Museum & Library in Tokyo, the House of Music in Budapest, and the monumental Grand Ring for Expo 2025 Osaka.At the heart of Fujimoto''s ‘Primitive Future’ philosophy lies a fascination with ambiguity, imperfection, and possibility. Educated much by Japanese concepts of in-between space as by the revolutionary thinking of Einstein or his heroes Gaudo, Le Corbusier, and Mies van der Rohe, he imagines architecture as a living framework for experience. Whether he’s creating cloud-like structures from steel grids, with his Serpentine Gallery Pavilion, or an apartment block with living spaces that extend like branches into the sky, as in L''Arbre Blanc, Fujimoto''s buildings invite people to discover new relationships with one another and their surroundings. With an in-depth introduction and commentary, this is the most complete portrait yet of an architect who is totally unafraid to challenge every convention, to “dismantle architecture to its limits”.

Biographical note:
Philip Jodidio studied art history and economics at Harvard and edited Connaissance des Arts for over 20 years. His TASCHEN books include the Homes for Our Time series and monographs on numerous major architects, including Norman Foster, Tadao Ando, Renzo Piano, Jean Nouvel, and Zaha Hadid. Sou Fujimoto is a key figure in new Japanese architecture. He has continuously eliminated barriers between architecture and the natural environment. Fujimoto takes inspiration from natural structures such as caves, forests, and nests to create his own unique architecture, which he refers to as the Primitive Future. Born in 1971, he founded his own firm in 2000.