Tadao Ando is one of the master architects of this  time. His designs, simplistic in form but complex  

in their circulation, are admired by people  around the world. In one of my earlier videos,  

I explored the life and designs of Tadao Ando. Now  every project he builds, he adds something new,  

something unseen for the visitors to experience.  But even though every project is unique,  

there have been some important ones throughout his  career. Welcome to Blessedarch and today on this  

channel we are looking at 10 projects that have  defined Tadao Ando’s career and his design style. 

Number one is Azuma House 

This structure also known as Row House is one  his earliest works. From the outside, it looks  

like a concrete box, but on the inside the house  is divided into three sections. Two volumes on  

opposing sides, divided by a void open to the sky.  This house was designed in a way so that it can  

give you privacy from the outside world and give  you access to an open and quiet space of your own.  

This early project not only showcased the  philosophies of Ando but was an important one  

because he received an award for this project from  the Japan Association of Architecture in 1976,  

and it also got him international acclaim. Number two is Rokko Housing 

Located at the edge of the Rokko mountains in  Kobe, this is a design where Tadao worked with  

the natural topography of the site. He created a  contoured housing that gives each dwelling unit,  

contact with nature and landscape around  it. The houses were built with strong  

relationships between public and private  spaces. It is a delicate balance he achieved  

in maintaining privacy yet promoting  communion and access to public spaces.  

But one important thing to note in this project  was Ando's noteworthy engineering achievement  

as these structures survived undamaged  after the Great Hanshin earthquake of 1995. 

Number 3 is the Church of Light 

The project is one of Ando’s most recognizable and  famous ones and perhaps most clearly represents  

what defines his architectural style. One  major theme found throughout his career  

is the use of natural elements. In this project,  sunlight certainly plays an important role.  

Ando splits a large concrete wall to allow intense  beams of light to pierce the interior. Instead of  

adding a cross to a room, he subtracts its from  the wall and allows it to exist as a void. The  

beauty of this project lies in its simplicity. Number 4 The Water Temple 

The water Temple is perhaps the best contributions  of Tadao Ando to Japanese culture. The project  

is defined by a monumental staircase that cuts  through a body of water. The stairs are narrow,  

creating an even more dramatic procession  through the water and downward. When visitors  

arrive at the end of the staircase, they enter  a circular shrine with accents of red color.  

While the exterior of the project is grand and  serene, the interior is a peaceful and intimate  

place of worship. This project definitely  marks one of the high points in the career  

and design style of tadao Ando. Number 5 The Church on the Water 

This church in Tomamu, Japan is not only one  of the most beautiful churches you might visit,  

it has also become one of the most  desired wedding destinations in Japan  

for its picturesque design. As is implied by the  name, Church on the Water does not direct focus  

inward—as in a typical church—but outward towards  the water. This is symbolic of Ando’s philosophy  

of celebrating nature, but more importantly,  it makes visitors experience and worship  

God through an emphasis on the natural world. Number 6 is The Japanese Pavilion for Expo 92 

This Pavilion representing Japan that was made  for the 92 Expo in Spain, was one of the most  

important works of Tadao Ando because this was  his first major commission outside of Japan.  

The aim of the pavilion was to acquaint  people in the rest of the world  

with the traditional aesthetic of Japan, an  aesthetic based on unadorned simplicity. One  

of the major things that differentiated  this pavilion from the rest of his works  

was the fact that this project was entirely devoid  of reinforced concrete, which as we know is the  

signature style and the go to material for him.  Nevertheless this project was one of the first one  

that people all over the world got easy  access to bringing more eyes upon his work. 

Number 7 is the Vitra Conference Pavilion The vitra campus in Germany is filled with  

structures by architects like Frank Gehry, Zaha  Hadid, Alvaro Siza, Renzo Piano and many more.  

In 1993, a Tadao Ando design also became a part  of this campus with the opening of the Vitra  

Conference Pavilion. It is a two level pavilion  in which lower level is imbedded into the ground.  

Now The vitra campus is filled with cherry blossom  trees and Tadao wanted to keep all existing trees  

unharmed but three of them had to be cut down for  this design. To remember the fallen trees 3 leaves  

were imprinted into the “bare concrete façade” of  the building. And that is why this building it one  

of the most important works of Tadao, because  leave aside the amazing and brilliant design,  

it shows us the care Tadao has for nature  and how important he holds its relationship  

to the spaces that he builds. Number 8 is the Meditation Space for UNESCO 

Undoubtedly one of the most serene spaces built  by him, the meditation space was commissioned  

to symbolize peace and commemorate the 50th  anniversary of the adoption of the UNESCO's  

Constitution. Tadao had won the competition  amongst hundreds of entries. Beyond the simplicity  

and refinement characteristic of his architecture,  Tadao here creates a symbolic work by using  

granite from Hiroshima after decontaminating  ofcourse. Through this, he invites the visitor  

to reflect on the horror of Hiroshima and hence to  meditate upon the destructive power of human kind. 

Number 9 is the Pulitzer Arts Foundation 

This art museum in St. Louis, Missouri is the  first project made by Tadao Ando in the United  

States. Originally this project was completed  in 2001, and then in 2014 it got renovated  

and extended, again under the supervision of  Tadao. Since it opened this building has been  

introverted, ideal for the quiet contemplation  of art in the city's Grand Center arts district.  

It is built in Tadao’s signature  Style with exposed concrete. 

And finally number 10 is the Chichu Art Museum 

This museum was constructed in 2004 as a site  rethinking the relationship between nature  

and people. It was built mostly underground to  avoid affecting the beautiful natural scenery  

of the Seto Inland sea. Despite being primarily  subterranean, the museum lets in an abundance of  

natural light that changes the appearance of the  artworks and the ambience of the space itself with  

the passage of time. The reason I have put this  on the list is because from all of his projects,  

this one personifies nothingness the most. The  structure is hidden, the spaces blend into nature.  

I feel this is one of the best  expression of his philosophies. 

And there we have it. The 10 career  defining projects by Tadao Ando.  

Now ofcourse there are many more projects  which are brilliant spaces like Giorgio  

Armani Theatre , the Modern Art Museum  of Fort Worth and The Hill of Buddha,  

but I felt that these 10 buildings helped  define Tadao’s career and his design aesthetic.  

But I also want to know your thoughts, would  you include any other projects on this list.  

Let me know in the comments below. If you  like the content I create on this channel  

and wish to support it, you can do so via patreon  or by becoming a channel member, you can find the  

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subscribe to blessedarch. And that was it, I will  see you guys soon with more such content. Bubye