From the Chiasmus Archives: March 10, 2019. "MONUMENTS OF ARCHITECTURE AND CREATORS OF THE TRANSCENDENCE: TADAO ANDO (PART 3)"

If you look over the career of Tadao Ando and try and compress the foundation of his architecture to just seeing it as minimalism. You may not see both its intricacy and intensity of his projected worlds of sheer and stark designs, the open spaces and in some cases the closed spaces.  Ando works are clearly set from within, as a single focus of molding concrete as a material and working it into structure.  Can it be seen as brutalism?  In my opinion, it is, whilst at the same time he offers both a subtle and blunt appeal of brutalist architecture, incorporating the Japanese ethos of knowing nature, its temperament and indifference, while accepting the elements – is to define the human structure within. Rising it up, sustaining our significance. Which is important, particularly now, in a time of our history. With the over inundation of information and fast paced digital technology – when we have yet to fully understand our place in the Universe, as we maybe alone.  And this frightens us, to which it shouldn't.  It is the purpose of an architect and designer to draw on that inherent volition to survive, as we have, in a thermonuclear age, that ability for self annihilation.  So, there is in an impermanence of biology, but, buildings can transcend this, structure can outlive and become timeless.  That is the defining attribute of sustainable buildings, not for a future plan, but for the now.  At this point in time.  To know and understand, that these beautifully sculptured buildings are built to withstand.  To endure and to become part of, what we know as, nature.  

Tadao Ando allows the viewer to see it from their perspective, to look at the various angles, the way the light is disbursed within the encased walls. Study it, without thoughts. Conjoin to it, while being inspired by its sentiment.  This is, giving back to the everyday person.  In a moment of reflection.  We see the continuum. 

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(A.Glass 2019)