177 - TADAO ANDO (Osaka, 1941).

TADAO ANDO (Osaka, 1941). “Nakanoshima Children’s Book Forest” Colored pencils and markers on paper. Signed at the bottom. Measurements: 23.5 x 17 cm. A children’s library and cultural space designed by Tadao Ando and opened in July 2020. Conceived as the architect’s contribution to his hometown, the project was funded by Ando and donated to the city of Osaka, with the aim of fostering reading, imagination, and creativity among future generations. Tadao Ando is a self-taught architect whose work is deeply influenced by Le Corbusier, Mies van der Rohe, Frank Lloyd Wright, and Louis Kahn, whom he studied during his travels through the United States, Europe, and Africa between 1962 and 1969. In 1969, he founded his firm, Tadao Ando Architects & Associates, in Osaka. His architecture is characterized by the use of exposed concrete, essential geometry, and a poetic treatment of light and natural elements, integrating Japanese tradition with modern design language. Among his most notable works are the Azuma House (1976), Rokko Housing (1983–1993), the Church of Light (1989), the Japan Pavilion for the 1992 Seville Expo, and the Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth (2000). In 1995, he received the prestigious Pritzker Architecture Prize, cementing his status as one of the most influential figures in contemporary architecture.