Sou Fujimoto (藤本 壮介, Fujimoto Sōsuke, born 1971) is a Japanese architect.

Sou Fujimoto
藤本 壮介
(2009)
Born1971 (age 52–53)
Hokkaido, Japan
NationalityJapanese
Alma materUniversity of Tokyo École Spéciale d'Architecture
OccupationArchitect
OrganizationSou Fujimoto Architects
Websitewww.sou-fujimoto.net

Born in Hokkaido in 1971,[1] he graduated from the University of Tokyo in 1994, and established his own office, Sou Fujimoto Architects, in 2000.[2] Noted for delicate light structures and permeable enclosures, Fujimoto designed several houses, and in 2013, was selected to design the temporary Serpentine Gallery pavilion in London.[3] In 2021, Fujimoto received the master's degree from l’École Spéciale d’Architecture in Paris.[4]

Fujimoto published a book in 2008 called Sou Fujimoto: Primitive Future.[5] It contains an overview of his projects up to that date, and it explains his concept of primitive future and how he uses it in his work.[5][6]

Career

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After establishing Sou Fujimoto Architects in 2000, Fujimoto went on to design buildings across Japan and Europe.[7] Many of his designs are built around his idea that the function of a building is decided by human behavior.[8] In 2019, Fujimoto was selected as one of 23 architects to "reinvent" Paris.[9] His contributions to this project include a redesign of a plot in the 17th arrondissement of Paris.[9]He will chair the Holcim Foundation Awards 2025 jury for region Asia Pacific.[10]

Selected works

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  • Final Wooden House, Kumamoto, 2005–08
  • Children's Centre for Psychiatric Rehabilitation, Hokkaido, Japan, 2006[11]
  • T House, Gunma, Japan, 2006-2010[11]
  • N House, Oita, 2008[12]
  • House before House, Utsunomiya, 2009[13]
  • Tokyo Apartment, Tabashi-ku, Tokyo, 2006-10[14]
  • Musashino Art University Museum and Library, Tokyo, Japan, 2010[15]
  • Toilet in Nature, Chiba, Japan, 2012[11]
  • House K, Nishinomiya, Hyogo, Japan, 2011-2013[16]
  • Serpentine Gallery Pavilion, London, 2013[17]
  • Bus Stop in Krumbach, Austria, 2014[18]
  • Naoshima Pavilion, Naoshima, Kagawa, Japan, 2016 [19]
  • L'Arbre Blanc, Montpellier, France, 2017 (est.)[20][21]
  • House of Hungarian Music, Budapest, Hungary, 2022[11][22]
  • Mille Arbres (A Thousand Trees), Paris, France, 2016-2023 (est.)[11]

Awards

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  • JIA New Face Award, 2004[6]
  • International Design Competition for the Environment Art Forum, 1st Prize, 2004[6]
  • Wooden House Competition, Kumamoto, 1st Prize, 2005[6]
  • Architectural Review Award Grand Prize, 2006[23]
  • Kenneth F. Brown Architecture Design Award, 2007[6]
  • Japanese Institute of Architecture Grand Prize, 2008[6]
  • Wallpaper Design Award, 2009[23]
  • Taiwan Tower International Competition: First Prize, 2011 [24]
  • Marcus Prize for Architecture, 2013[23]
  • Kyoto Global Design Awards Best100, 2023[25]

References

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  1. ^ "Exclusive interview: Sou Fujimoto". Gaku-gei Cafe (in Japanese). Studio OJMM. January 2011. Retrieved 23 February 2013.
  2. ^ El Croquis Nr.151: Sou Fujimoto 2003-2010 Archived 2016-03-03 at the Wayback Machine
  3. ^ Wainwright, Oliver (18 February 2013). "Sou Fujimoto's Serpentine pavilion promises a breath of fresh air". The Guardian. Guardian News and Media Limited. Retrieved 23 February 2013.
  4. ^ "Sou Fujimoto, Des espaces pour les hommes - École Spéciale d'Architecture". www.esa-paris.fr. Retrieved 8 April 2022.
  5. ^ a b "Sou Fujimoto: Primitive Future". Designers & Books. Retrieved 20 October 2019.
  6. ^ a b c d e f "Sou Fujimoto Architect | Biography, Buildings, Projects and Facts". Famous Architects. Retrieved 20 October 2019.
  7. ^ "Sou Fujimoto | Japanese architect". Encyclopedia Britannica. Retrieved 20 October 2019.
  8. ^ "Biography of the architect: Sou Fujimoto". Floornature.com (in Italian). Retrieved 20 November 2019.
  9. ^ a b Zollinger, Daniel (4 February 2016). "sou fujimoto among 23 architects chosen to 'reinvent' paris". Designboom. Retrieved 20 November 2019.
  10. ^ "Holcim Foundation Awards 2025". Architects Journal. Retrieved 14 October 2024.
  11. ^ a b c d e "Who is Sou Fujimoto?". Japan House London. Retrieved 10 November 2019.
  12. ^ de zeen magazine, 19 January 2012
  13. ^ Detail nr. "»House before House« in Utsunomiya", 2009
  14. ^ El Croquis Nr.151: "Tokyo Apartment" Archived 2012-02-03 at the Wayback Machine, retrieved 26 February 2013
  15. ^ "Sou Fujimoto Architect | Biography, Buildings, Projects and Facts". Famous Architects. Retrieved 10 November 2019.
  16. ^ "Complementary opposites". domusweb.it. Retrieved 6 January 2015.
  17. ^ Serpentine Gallery Pavilion 2013 by Sou Fujimoto, 20 October 2013
  18. ^ "Bus Stop Krumbach Projekt Info". Gemeinde Krumbach (in German). Retrieved 26 June 2018.
  19. ^ Setouchi Triennale 2016 Artwork No. 005 Naoshima Pavilion, 28 September 2016
  20. ^ Karissa Rosenfield. Sou Fujimoto-Led Team Designs Tree-Inspired Housing Tower for Montpellier. ArchDaily, 7 March 2014
  21. ^ Focus Magazine. L’Arbre blanc à Montpellier. Focus Magazine, Montpellier (in French)
  22. ^ "Sou Fujimoto's House of Music in Hungary Opens to the Public". 24 January 2022.
  23. ^ a b c "Sou Fujimoto". Swiss Architectural Award. Retrieved 20 October 2019.
  24. ^ "Taiwan Tower First Prize Winning Proposal / Sou Fujimoto Architects". 5 December 2011. Retrieved 11 January 2022.
  25. ^ "Unveiling design excellence: the 2023 recipients of the Kyoto Global Design Awards". 18 October 2023. Retrieved 29 January 2024.
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