Tadao Ando, a renowned Japanese architect, has won four major awards, including the Carlsberg Architectural Prize, The Pritzker Architecture Prize, and the Kyoto Prize, inspired by Frank Lloyd Wright's Imperial Hotel.
Tadao Ando's 'critical regionalism' architecture blends minimalism and Zen Buddhism, incorporating natural light and three-dimensional circulation paths. His 'Azuma House' embodies freedom and captivity.
Tadao Ando designed the Church of the Light in 1989, a Christian church in Ibaraki, Osaka. The church features plank-made benches and a 15-inch thick wall with a crosscut, symbolizing the relationship between solid and light. The church is spacious and soundproof, but some members find it disturbing due to its lack of distractions.
Kanye West, and Jay Z bought the Tadao Ando house in Malibu for $200 million, the most expensive in Californian real estate history, featuring 1400 tons of materials and ocean-facing windows.
The Water Temple, built in 1989 by Tadao Ando, features concrete geometric shapes, lush greenery, and a vermillion interior with an Amida Buddha effigy and traditional wooden structure.