Shigeru Ban
Shigeru Ban stands as one of contemporary architecture’s most radical humanists, fusing structural innovation with profound social commitment. A 2014 Pritzker Prize laureate, Ban pioneered the structural use of recycled cardboard tubes, beginning in the mid-1980s with exhibition designs and evolving into disaster relief architecture deployed across five continents. His Paper Log Houses, first realized for Vietnamese refugees after the 1995 Kobe earthquake, exemplify architecture's capacity for urgent social response. The 2013 Cardboard Cathedral in Christchurch—at 79 feet tall—demonstrates how “temporary” materials can achieve civic monumentality and community permanence. Ban's philosophy, “I don't like waste,” encapsulates his practice—transforming material economy into architectural poetry while maintaining unwavering commitment to humanitarian crises from Rwanda to Ukraine.
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Press: If you are a member of the press and are interested in attending and covering the program, please email Scott Tennent at stennent@hammer.ucla.edu for accommodations.
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♿ Accessibility information
All public programs are free and made possible by a major gift from an anonymous donor.
Lead support is provided by the Elizabeth Bixby Janeway Foundation. Major support is provided by Susan Bay Nimoy and Leonard Nimoy, with additional support provided by the City of Los Angeles Department of Cultural Affairs and all Hammer members.
Digital presentation of Hammer public programs is made possible by The Billy and Audrey L. Wilder Foundation.
Hammer public programs are presented online in partnership with the #KeepThePromise campaign—a movement promoting social justice and human rights through the arts.