shinichi ogawa works

at first sight, it seems like shinichi ogawa’s architecture is no different than other architecture. however, this one is different because of its incomparable approach. the fact is that his architecture does not look for the balance between form and functionality or a living ideal.

shinichi ogawa has a good sense of reality. to him architecture means spaces which describe the facts comprising our reality. architectural creation means creating a context within which to project, as it is, the physical being of its inhabitants and the complex reality of their physical surround.

an example is the project 104x. this entire design is based on the draft of a modular element to be used throughout the project. in other words, just one element is used while building. this one element consists of a steal frame and glass, which ,consequently, is the only qualifying structural and form giving element. 104 of such panels were used for project 104x. the number reflects the kind of building: 18x for a garage, 200x for a house and 1000x for a museum.

shinichi ogawa’s designs contain a certain brightness. because of the structural transparency, the spaces are experienced to be very open, what makes activities of different kinds go together and even merge. nonetheless, his designed houses are a place where one can retreat from complex society and find some peace and quiet in anonymity.


shinichi ogawa
architect / shinichi ogawa & associates
professor,kinki university school of engineering
1955 born in yamaguchi, japan
1978 received b.f.a from nihon university college of art
1977 awarded exchange student scholarship for washington state university
1984 awarded japanese government fellowship to study abroad
1986 established shinichi ogawa & associates
1996 the 19th international exposition milano triennale japan pavilion
1996 uia barcelona `96 / xix congress international union of architecture / barcelona
1999 home exhibition glasgow 1999 uk city of architecture and design
2001 japan 2001 london, 4x4 japanese avant-garde exhibition
2002 gwangju biennale 2002 / gwangju,korea