Shigeru Ban is a Pritzker Prize winning Japanese architect and SCI-Arc alumnus known for his pioneering use of cardboard tubes in building construction. In its citation for the 2014 Pritzker Prize, the jury noted Ban’s creatively designed structures, such as temporary shelters, for areas devastated by natural disasters. Ban studied at SCI-Arc from 1977 to 1980 and later moved to the Cooper Union. After working for Japanese architect Arata Isozaki, he opened his own practice in Tokyo. Ban first used paper tubes in 1985–86, notably in a gallery for fashion designer Issey Miyake. In 1994, he suggested to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) that shelters made of paper be constructed for Rwandan refugees; he was made a consultant to the agency in 1995, and 50 such structures were built in 1998. Ban continued to use the tubes in his work throughout the year. In addition to his architecture work, Ban held a number of professorships, including those at Yokohama National University and Keio University in Tokyo. From 2006 to 2009 he served on the jury of the annual Pritzker Prize.
Shigeru Ban: Works & Humanitarian Initiatives
