Tag Archives: Shigeru-Ban

Shigeru Ban Offers The Paper Log House To Morocco For Disaster Relief Following The Earthquake

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Japanese architect Shigeru Ban designed the Paper Log House with his non-governmental organization, Voluntary Architects’ Network, which he founded in 1995. The Log House was created as a shelter for victims of natural disasters in response to the Great Hanshin earthquake in Kobe, Japan. The model was also installed in Antalya as a school building after the 2023 Turkey-Syria earthquake. It is intended to be easy and quick to construct, and also quite economical. The Pritzker Architecture-prize winning architect has now designed the latest prototype of the Paper Log House for Morocco since it was devastatingly hit by the earthquake on September 8th, 2023.

Designer: Shigeru Ban

The 6.8 magnitude earthquake caused innumerable damage to buildings and claimed over 3000 lives. The prototype is constructed using cardboard tubes, which gives the structure its name. The cardboard tubes function as the columns of the house, and are used to accommodate prefab wood panels. These wood panels form the walls, floor, and roof. The various components are elevated above the ground using a base created from plastic beer crates filled with sandbags. The temporary shelter has been constructed at the National School of Architecture of Marrakech as a symbol of hope, resilience, and support in an extremely difficult time.

Besides providing support through structures and architecture, Shigeru Ban also held a lecture on September 27 where he introduced the Paper Log House and his knowledge and experience in post-disaster support. He also stayed back in Marrakech to visit the affected areas and find potential locations for the Paper Log House.

Shigeru Ban’s humanitarian effort is truly commendable. He is providing valuable support and shelter to victims. In fact, his involvement in disaster relief is spread over three decades, taking into account his work across the globe over the years, from Kobe to L’Aquila, Turkey to Haiti!

The post Shigeru Ban Offers The Paper Log House To Morocco For Disaster Relief Following The Earthquake first appeared on Yanko Design.

This restaurant on a Japanese island features a thatched roof and large cardboard tubes

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Architecture studio Shigeru Ban designed the unique Farmer’s Restaurant on Awaji Island. Situated in the middle of a field on the Japanese island, the restaurant features a thatched roof, and huge cardboard tubes, giving the structure a rather raw and unfettered aesthetic. The restaurant also functions as a music hall!

Designer: Shigeru Ban

The restaurant was commissioned by the agricultural company Pasona Agri-Partners Inc, in an attempt to bring farm-fresh veggies to the table, by serving food prepared from vegetables straight from the field! It is heavily influenced by traditional Japanese farmhouses, which is quite evident in its large thatched roof. The restaurant’s rather raw look, chunky beams, and columns pay tribute to the massive trees used to build traditional Japanese farmhouses. These rustic elements were crafted from two pieces of Japanese cypress wood, covered in cardboard tubes.

The Farmer’s Restaurant also showcases Shigeru Ban’s ‘Paper Tube Structures’ system, – his iconic and pioneering utilization of cardboard tubes as components in the architecture. The cardboard tubes have been coated in waterproof paint, and are designed to be replaced later since they are placed outside. Wooden panels, doors, and various openings mark the exterior of the restaurant, alongside the chunky columns. The interiors of the restaurant feature wooden flooring, stools, and banquet tables.

Ban also integrated his modular Paper Partition System (PPS), which was created to provide privacy to people seeking refuge in refugee centers. PPS utilizes thin cardboard tubes as partitions – in the form of structures and textiles. A single unit can be built by three people in five minutes.

The post This restaurant on a Japanese island features a thatched roof and large cardboard tubes first appeared on Yanko Design.