Born in 1941 in Osaka, Japan, Tadao Ando is often cited as one of the greatest living architects. Here are 5 things you should know.

Boxing helped him develop his quiet fighting spirit and stoic perseverance that later became his strengths as an architect.

The character of the concrete, the simple geometric compositions, the presence of nature and light. These are aspects that can be seen widely in his works functioning as a blank canvas to portray the characteristics nature under the theme "eternity". 


The He Art Museum

Ando is also known for expansive public facilities that extend out into the landscapes. Ando referred to his Church of the Water as “a device for becoming one with nature”. Elements of nature play a key role in Ando's projects. 

Tadao Ando has designed many museums throughout the world. He even designed one underground which is located in Naoshima, Japan.

Chichu Art Museum, Naoshima, Japan

Bourse de Commerce

The ornamental 19th-century ceiling mural and Ando’s reticent concrete wall. Ando's aim was to create “a building that connects the past with the present and the future”.

Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth

The completed building with its simple rectangular volumes not only displays the traits of Ando’s architecture that skillfully combines clean geometries; it also establishes a sense of continuity with the adjacent museum by Luis Kahn.