Riken Yamamoto Architecture
Born: April 15th, 1945
Website: https://www.riken-yamamoto.co.jp/
Winner of Pritzker Prize in 2024
Yamamoto is the latest Japanese recipient of the Pritzker Prize. He has designed many school campuses including the Nagoya Zokei University. He also served as the president of the school was 2018-2021 but was later dismissed after a disagreement on the school's redevelopment plan. Now he is forbidden by management to enter the campus that he designed.
Yamamoto has also been critical of the high costs associated with the 2025 Osaka Expo, public going against fellow architect Sou Fujimoto for his involvement as the venue design producer.
Shinonome Canal Court CODAN (2003)
Built by the semipublic UR agency, this was a massive housing project of total 1,712 units in six different blocks. Yamamoto was in charge of Block 1 while Toyo Ito and Kengo Kuma contributed to Block 2 and 3 respectively.
The "common void" is a feature in all of the blocks. There is ample public space and businesses on the lower floors, similar to the other projects by UR.
Fussa City Hall (2008)
Fussa is a city in Tokyo about 50km west of the central area and also home to Yokota Air Base. In between the two towers, there is a grass covered area for the public. It is used as a stage in the annual Tanabata Festival in July. The parking lot was built underground to keep the height of the buildings as low as possible.
Yokosuka Museum of Art (2003)
In a scenic area by the Tokyo Bay and the Kannonzaki Park, in the northeastern tip of the Miura Peninsula. The use of glass is not just for design but to minimize damage from salt corrosion.
The surrounding Uraga Channel sees one of the busiest ship traffic in the world in the various cargo vessels can be viewed from the rooftop terrace.
This is also where Commodore Matthew Perry arrived in 1853, demanding trade with Japan.