Venice Biennale Japan Pavilion
Designed by Yoshizaka Takamasa, the Venice Biennale Japan Pavilion was an ambitious work, a forerunner of post-war Japanese Modernist architecture that has played a major role in the dissemination of Japanese architecture and art to the rest of the world.
However, the frequent renovations and refurbishments carried out during the 58 years since its construction have caused the pavilion to deviate considerably from its initial design. At the request of the Ishibashi Foundation, I had the honor of being involved in the renovation of the pavilion, which included restoring Mr. Yoshizaka's original design to the greatest possible extent. That we were able to recover the original appearance of the pavilion, in particular by the restoration of the garden and the introduction of natural light from the roof was, I think, a superb achievement.
Toyo Ito
