Koichi Takada is a celebrated architect renowned for his nature-inspired approach to urban living. Born in Tokyo and based in Sydney, Takada is dedicated to reuniting people with the natural environment, designing buildings that are responsive to and reflective of their location. Believing that ‘form follows nature’, Takada looks to the natural world for ways to build sustainably while increasing quality of life.
October 26 will see the release of Takada’s debut monograph, written by Philip Jodidio, in a beautiful 240-page hardback published by Rizzoli New York. The book’s foreword was penned by Japanese architect Kengo Kuma, a close friend of Takada, and the afterword comes from Takada himself.
With sketches, plans, and full colour photographs of Takada’s projects, the book showcases the architect’s unique approach to design. Organic forms naturally predominate in Takada’s portfolio, epitomised by the cover image that features the award-winning National Museum of Qatar giftshop interiors, which were constructed using 40,000 uniquely shaped pieces of wood. The cavernous effect exemplifies Takada’s mastery of form and lighting, the evolution of which is visible throughout the monograph.
The works of Koichi Takada are breath-taking in and of themselves, but the accompanying ethos behind each of them elevates each project and serves as a crucial lesson for the modern architectural industry.
Koichi Takada: Architecture, Nature, and Design is available to pre-order now and will release on October 26.
If you liked this article, you might like our feature on the award-winning Natural Library in China’s Zheshui Village.
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