Shigeru Ban, an esteemed architect of almost 30 years, has long been recognized for the the boundary-pushing ideas he has applied to residences, corporate buildings and the homes of disaster-relief victims alike — his work being a combination of projects for private clients as well as volunteer efforts for those in times of crisis. Often remembered for his architectural work involving a foundation using paper tubes, he is quite literally “the paper architect.”

Honoring his achievements this year, 2014, he has been awarded the Pritzker Prize — basically the Pulitzer/Oscar of the architectural world. In honor of this accomplishments, TASCHEN has released this limited-edition print of just 200 copies of Shigeru Ban. Complete Works 1985-2010, Art Edition by Philip Jodidio, an art-history author, expert and Harvard graduate who has now added Ban’s first monograph to his collection of publications. The book, measuring 12.1 x 15.4 inches and comprised of 466 pages, comes in a decorative clamshell box and is a multilingual edition of English, French and German. The unique cover has received the architect’s detailed treatment, consisting of a handcrafted mesh from polished African Samba wood intended to echo his roof design of the Centre Pomidou-Metz. Each copy signed by Shigeru Ban, the book follows his architectural career giving homage to each accomplishment, ranging from a home without any walls, to the reinforcement of an earthquake-collapsed church using cardboard — aka the Cardboard Cathedral. Copies are dwindling. Get yours for $1,800.

Small peak at Ban’s genius below…

Leave a Reply