Kazuyo Sejima
Encyclopedia
is a Japanese
architect
. After studying at Japan Women's University
and working in the office of Toyo Ito
, in 1987 she founded Kazuyo Sejima and Associates. In 1995 she founded the Tokyo
-based firm SANAA
(Sejima and Nishizawa and Associates) together with her former employee Ryue Nishizawa
. Sejima has been appointed Director of the Architecture Sector for the Venice Biennale
, for which she will curate the 12th Annual International Architecture Exhibition, to be held in 2010. She is the first woman ever selected for this position. In 2010 she was awarded the Pritzker Prize
, together with Ryue Nishizawa.
Kazuyo Sejima and Ryue Nishizawa have worked on several projects in Germany, France, England, the Netherlands, United States, and Spain. Many of their designs like the New Museum in the Bowery District in New York City as well as their Glass Pavilion for the Toledo Museum of Art involve glass and allowing a space to be open to the world around it. This design element can be found greatly in most of their designs.
Sejima creates most of her designs with very clean modernist elements. They usually include many slick, clean, and shinny surfaces like glass, marble, and metals. She also likes to use squares and cubes within her designs, and these can be found in most of her designs in various different usages. Large windows allow for much natural light to enter a space, and makes her spaces very involved with the worlds that are on the other side of the glass. It's this dual connection of two spaces, that she draws most of her design inspirations.
and Keio University
in Tokyo. Together with Nishizawa, from 2005 to 2008, she held the Jean Labatut Professorship at the School of Architecture at Princeton University
, in Princeton, New Jersey
in the United States
, where she has also served on the advisory council for several years.
Japanese people
The are an ethnic group originating in the Japanese archipelago and are the predominant ethnic group of Japan. Worldwide, approximately 130 million people are of Japanese descent; of these, approximately 127 million are residents of Japan. People of Japanese ancestry who live in other countries...
architect
Architect
An architect is a person trained in the planning, design and oversight of the construction of buildings. To practice architecture means to offer or render services in connection with the design and construction of a building, or group of buildings and the space within the site surrounding the...
. After studying at Japan Women's University
Japan Women's University
is the oldest and largest of private Japanese women's universities. The university was established in 20 April 1901 by education reformist .The university has around 6000 students and 200 faculty...
and working in the office of Toyo Ito
Toyo Ito
is a Japanese architect known for creating conceptual architecture, in which he seeks to simultaneously express the physical and virtual worlds. He is a leading exponent of architecture that addresses the contemporary notion of a "simulated" city, and has been called "one of the world's most...
, in 1987 she founded Kazuyo Sejima and Associates. In 1995 she founded the Tokyo
Tokyo
, ; officially , is one of the 47 prefectures of Japan. Tokyo is the capital of Japan, the center of the Greater Tokyo Area, and the largest metropolitan area of Japan. It is the seat of the Japanese government and the Imperial Palace, and the home of the Japanese Imperial Family...
-based firm SANAA
SANAA (firm)
SANAA is an architectural firm. It was founded in 1995 by Kazuyo Sejima and Ryue Nishizawa. In 2010, Sejima and Nishizawa were awarded the Pritzker Prize, architecture's highest honor.-Biography:...
(Sejima and Nishizawa and Associates) together with her former employee Ryue Nishizawa
Ryue Nishizawa
is an Japanese architect based in Tokyo. He is a graduate of Yokohama National University, and is director of his own firm, Office of Ryue Nishizawa, established in 1997. In 1995, he co-founded the firm SANAA with the architect Kazuyo Sejima...
. Sejima has been appointed Director of the Architecture Sector for the Venice Biennale
Venice Biennale
The Venice Biennale is a major contemporary art exhibition that takes place once every two years in Venice, Italy. The Venice Film Festival is part of it. So too is the Venice Biennale of Architecture, which is held in even years...
, for which she will curate the 12th Annual International Architecture Exhibition, to be held in 2010. She is the first woman ever selected for this position. In 2010 she was awarded the Pritzker Prize
Pritzker Prize
The Pritzker Architecture Prize is awarded annually by the Hyatt Foundation to honour "a living architect whose built work demonstrates a combination of those qualities of talent, vision and commitment, which has produced consistent and significant contributions to humanity and the built...
, together with Ryue Nishizawa.
Kazuyo Sejima and Ryue Nishizawa have worked on several projects in Germany, France, England, the Netherlands, United States, and Spain. Many of their designs like the New Museum in the Bowery District in New York City as well as their Glass Pavilion for the Toledo Museum of Art involve glass and allowing a space to be open to the world around it. This design element can be found greatly in most of their designs.
Sejima creates most of her designs with very clean modernist elements. They usually include many slick, clean, and shinny surfaces like glass, marble, and metals. She also likes to use squares and cubes within her designs, and these can be found in most of her designs in various different usages. Large windows allow for much natural light to enter a space, and makes her spaces very involved with the worlds that are on the other side of the glass. It's this dual connection of two spaces, that she draws most of her design inspirations.
Projects by Kazuyo Sejima and Associates
- Platform I Vacation House – 1987 to 1988 – ChibaChiba Prefectureis a prefecture of Japan located in the Kantō region and the Greater Tokyo Area. Its capital is Chiba City.- History :Chiba Prefecture was established on June 15, 1873 with the merger of Kisarazu Prefecture and Inba Prefecture...
, JapanJapanJapan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south... - Platform II Studio – 1988 to 1990 – Yamanachi, Japan
- Platform III House (Not Built/Project Only) – 1989 to 1990 – TokyoTokyo, ; officially , is one of the 47 prefectures of Japan. Tokyo is the capital of Japan, the center of the Greater Tokyo Area, and the largest metropolitan area of Japan. It is the seat of the Japanese government and the Imperial Palace, and the home of the Japanese Imperial Family...
, Japan - Castelbajac Sports Store – 1990 to 1991 – Kanagawa, Japan
- Saishunkan Seiyaku Women's Dormitory – 1990 to 1991 – Kumamoto, Japan
- N House – 1990 to 1992 – Kumamoto, Japan
- An Apartment Building (Not Built/Project Only) – 1991 – OsakaOsakais a city in the Kansai region of Japan's main island of Honshu, a designated city under the Local Autonomy Law, the capital city of Osaka Prefecture and also the biggest part of Keihanshin area, which is represented by three major cities of Japan, Kyoto, Osaka and Kobe...
, Japan - Nasumoahara Harmony Hall (Not Built/Project Only) – 1991 – TochigiTochigiTochigi can refer to:* Tochigi Prefecture, a Japanese prefecture* Tochigi, Tochigi, a city in Tochigi prefecture, Japan* Tochigi Station, a railroad station in Tochigi city, Japan.* Tochigi S.C., a Japanese soccer club...
, Japan - Pachinko Parlor I – 1991 to 1993 – IbarakiIbaraki, Ibarakiis a town located in Higashiibaraki District, Ibaraki, Japan.The town was set to merge with Mito, Ibaraki on December 8, 2007, but following the election of a new mayor in April 2007, these plans were abandoned....
, Japan - Villa in the Forest – 1992 to 1994 – Nagano, Japan
- Pachinko Parlor II – 1993 – Ibaraki, Japan
- Y House – 1993 to 1994 – Chiba, Japan
- Police Office in Chofu StationChofu Station (Tokyo)is a Keio Corporation station located in Chōfu, Tokyo, Japan.-Station layout:This station has two ground-level island platforms.-Future development:...
– 1993 to 1994 – Tokyo, Japan - Service Center at the Tokyo Expo 96 (Not Built/Project Only) – 1994 to 1995 – Tokyo, Japan
- Yokohama International Port Terminal (Not Built/Project Only) – 1994 – Kanagawa, Japan
- Gifu Kitagata Apartment Building – 1994 to 2000 – GifuGifu, Gifuis a city located in the south-central portion of Gifu Prefecture, Japan, and serves as the prefectural capital. The city has played an important role in Japan's history because of its location in the middle of the country. During the Sengoku period, various warlords, including Oda Nobunaga, used...
, Japan - Pachinko Parlor III – 1995 to 1996 – Ibaraki, Japan
- U Office Building – 1996 to 1998 – Ibaraki, Japan
- Small House – 1999 to 2000 – Tokyo, Japan
- Kozankaku Student Residence – 1999 to 2000 – Ibaraki, Japan
- hhstyle.com Store – 1999 to 2000 – Tokyo, Japan
- Asahi Shimbun Yamagata Office Building – 2000 to 2002 – YamagataYamagata-Places in Japan:*Yamagata Prefecture**Yamagata City, the capital city of Yamagata Prefecture**Yamagata Airport , an airport located in Yamagata**Yamagata Shinkansen, one of Shinkansen lines running between Tokyo Station and Shinjo Station...
, Japan - House in a Plum Grove – 2001 to 2003 – Tokyo, Japan
- OnishiOnishi, Gunmawas a town located in Tano District, Gunma, Japan.On January 1, 2006 Onishi was merged into the expanded city of Fujioka.As of 2003, the town had an estimated population of 6,982 and a density of 133.12 persons per km². The total area was 52.45 km²....
Civic Center – 2003 to 2005 – Gunma, Japan - Theater and Artscentre- 2007 – Almere, The Netherlands
- New Museum- 2010- New York City, United States
- SHIBAURA HOUSE - 2011 - Tokyo, Japan
Professorship
Sejima teaches as a Visiting Professor, both at Tama Art UniversityTama Art University
is a private university in Setagaya, Tokyo, Japan. The predecessor of the school was founded in 1935 as a spinoff from what is today Musashino Art University...
and Keio University
Keio University
,abbreviated as Keio or Keidai , is a Japanese university located in Minato, Tokyo. It is known as the oldest institute of higher education in Japan. Founder Fukuzawa Yukichi originally established it as a school for Western studies in 1858 in Edo . It has eleven campuses in Tokyo and Kanagawa...
in Tokyo. Together with Nishizawa, from 2005 to 2008, she held the Jean Labatut Professorship at the School of Architecture at Princeton University
Princeton University
Princeton University is a private research university located in Princeton, New Jersey, United States. The school is one of the eight universities of the Ivy League, and is one of the nine Colonial Colleges founded before the American Revolution....
, in Princeton, New Jersey
Princeton, New Jersey
Princeton is a community located in Mercer County, New Jersey, United States. It is best known as the location of Princeton University, which has been sited in the community since 1756...
in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, where she has also served on the advisory council for several years.