Horm Stories #14
Today, we want to share a truly special anniversary: the tenth “birthday” of the Pritzker Architecture Prize awarded to the Japanese architect Toyo Ito. This starchitect is one of our personal favorites, likely due to his innovative approach and attention to sensory experiences. Ito infuses his buildings with a sense of optimism, lightness, and joy that is simply breathtaking.
Among Toyo Ito’s most famous works is the Sendai Mediatheque, a library-sculpture that embodies the essence of his philosophy. This seven-story building, located in Sendai, Japan, is a work of art that skillfully combines solid and transparent elements, sensuality and technology, creating a unique multisensory experience. The glass and steel façade reveals the intricate network of structural columns, resembling tree trunks. What makes Ito truly remarkable is his talent for creating works that speak directly to the emotions.
Scaling down his architectural vision, Ito transferred the conceptual essence of the Sendai Mediatheque into a product designed for Horm: the Sendai Bookcase. This piece exemplifies his ability to combine technology and sensuality, solidity and ethereality, not only in architecture but also in product design. The Sendai Bookcase is not just furniture—it is a sculptural object, featuring six lightweight shelves in mirrored aluminum (or glass in the Crystal version) connected by sinuous solid alder and walnut wood elements, each curved in unique forms.
Another project that brought international acclaim to Ito is the Za-Koenji Theater in Tokyo, a masterful example of an auditorium integrated into a dense urban fabric. The bold color contrasts give the building a strong identity and recognizability while harmoniously blending with the surrounding cityscape. The same effect is recreated on a smaller scale in the Polka Dots Sideboard, designed by Ito for Horm. This piece brings the sensory experience of the theater into the home, with its distinctive light effects and geometric patterns.
It is no surprise that in 2013, Toyo Ito won the prestigious Pritzker Architecture Prize, an award honoring architects whose work demonstrates talent, vision, and dedication to the field of architecture. This anniversary is a perfect occasion to celebrate Ito’s legacy and to appreciate the timeless beauty of his creations.
