Junya Ishigami: Fragility and Landscape in Architecture

Junya Ishigami, the Japanese architect known for his fragile structures, won the Golden Lion at the 12th Venice Architecture Biennale in 2010 despite his installation collapsing hours after opening. His work explores fragility, using materials at their limits, as seen in the 305 slender pillars of the KAIT Workshop (2004-2008) and the 3mm-thick Magic Table. Ishigami rejects traditional notions of architecture as enclosure, instead creating landscapes that blur interior and exterior. He draws inspiration from greenhouses, aiming for a seamless relationship between inside and outside. His projects include the visitor center for Groot Vijversburg park in the Netherlands, a second project for Kanagawa Institute of Technology, and an expansion of the Moscow Polytechnic Museum. Ishigami views error as an acceptable part of the design process and prioritizes flexibility for future adaptations.