Biography
Junya Ishigami challenges existing methodologies and proposes alternatives to push the boundaries of what is possible in architecture. He began his career at the Tokyo-based architectural studio Kazuyo Sejima & Associates where he worked for four years before opening his own studio, junya.ishigami+associates (2004).
Ishigami’s work has been presented in exhibitions at the Fondation Cartier pour l’art contemporain, Paris (2018); Barbican Centre, London (2011); 11th and 12th Venice Architecture Biennale (2008, 2010); and Tokyo Museum of Contemporary Art (2007), among others.
His projects include University Multipurpose Plaza, Kanagawa, Japan (2020); Serpentine Pavilion, London (2019); the Botanical Garden Art Biotop / Water Garden, Tochigi, Japan (2018); House & Restaurant, Yamaguchi, Japan (2013); Park Groot Vijversburg Visitor Center, Tytsjerk, the Netherlands (2012); and a polyfunctional space at the Kanagawa Institute of Technology, Kanagawa (2007).
Ishigami was the Kenzo Tange Design Critic at the Harvard Graduate School of Design (2014) and Associate Professor at Tohoku University, Sendai, Japan (2010–2012). He was the recipient of the Obel Award by the Henrik Frode Obel Foundation (2019), BSI Swiss Architectural Award (2016); Golden Lion for Best Project at the 12th Venice Architecture Biennale (2010); and the Architectural Institute of Japan Prize for the Kanagawa Institute of Technology KAIT Workshop (2009). Ishigami received a master’s degree in architecture and planning from the Tokyo University of the Arts (2000). Born in 1974 in Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan, he lives and works in Tokyo.
SAF participation:
Sharjapan 3 – Remain Calm: Solitude and Connectivity in Japanese Architecture (2021)