Toyo Ito: Sendai Mediatheque [Paperback]

Tomoko Sakamoto (Editor), Albert Ferre (Editor), Gary Hume (Author), Toyo Ito (Contributor)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 8495951037 | ISBN-13: 978-8495951038 | Publication Date: December 2002

Originally inspired by the image of floating seaweed, Toyo Ito's multi-purpose cultural centre, the Sendai Mediatheque, is a structure both transparent and light. Thirteen steel tubular lattice structures penetrate the design and carry the weight of the 15.75 inch thin floor slabs on each of seven floors, giving the building the impression of being suspended in mid-air. Light is central to the Mediatheque's appearance: when not flooded by daylight, the structure glows artifically from within. Located in Sendai, Japan, the Mediatheque houses a library, art gallery, audio-visual library, film studio, and cafa, and was the subject of an architectural competition in which Ito's was the winning entry. This publication documents the structure's design, construction, and current use.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Born in Japan in 1941, Toyo Ito opened his own architecture studio in Tokyo in 1971. His most important structures included the Tower of Wind in Yokohama and the Yatsushiro Municipal Museum, and he has been exhibited widely in such shows as Vision of Japan, Blurring Architecture, and Vision and Reality. He has taught at Columbia University, New York, and the University of North London, and has received awards from such bodies as the Architecture Institute of Japan, the Union of Architects in Bulgaria, and the American Academy of Arts and Letters.

Product Details

• Paperback: 240 pages
• Publisher: Actar (December 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 8495951037
• ISBN-13: 978-8495951038
• Product Dimensions: 9.6 x 6.8 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.5 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #556,544 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)