In the 1980s a second generation of Japanese architects began to gain recognition within the international architecture scene, including Ito Toyo, Hasegawa Itsuko and Andō Tadao. This younger group has continued to explore both modernism and postmodernism, while incorporating the renewed interest in Japan’s architectural heritage. One of Ito’s most striking recent designs, built in 2004, TOD’s Omote-sandō Building looks as if it was wrapped in surgical tape. Andō’s architecture utilises materials such as concrete to create strong geometric patterns that have so regularly appeared in Japan’s traditional architecture.
