Shigeru Ban: Timber in Architecture

Despite being one of the oldest building materials, wood is revolutionising the way we design and construct buildings today. Criteria such as a changing work-life balance and working for a carbon-neutral future allow us to better account for the resources that buildings use and their effect on the natural environment. Studies have also shown the positive impacts of wood on health, wellness, and working toward equity in our local communities as we create beautiful spaces in which to gather, learn, and live.

Featured in this book is a comprehensive survey of more than fifty buildings showcasing novel applications for this most ancient of building materials. Museum projects, corporate headquarters, resorts, residences, and temporary shelters for both natural and man-made disasters display the state of the art in wood construction, especially the emerging technology of mass timber, a fireproof composite material. Featured projects include the headquarters of Swatch and Omega, as well as the Aspen Museum, the Pompidou Metz, the Mount Fuji World Heritage Center, La Seine Musicale Performance Hall in Paris, the Oita Prefectural Museum, and the nineteen-story Terrace House in Vancouver, the world’s tallest mass timber building, scheduled for completion in 2022.