El Croquis 205: SANAA 2015–2020 maps five years of work by Kazuyo Sejima and Ryue Nishizawa — both together as SANAA and individually — across fifteen projects that demonstrate the continued evolution of their spatial and structural thinking.
About This Book
This instalment of El Croquis focuses on one of the most consequential practices in contemporary Japanese architecture. Rather than treating SANAA as a single entity, the volume distinguishes between the collaborative work of Sejima and Nishizawa and their respective solo practices — revealing the distinct sensibilities each brings to questions of structure, materiality, and programme. Projects range from civic infrastructure to cultural institutions to private residences, spanning work in Japan and China. A conversation between architect Maki Onishi and the founding partners anchors the monograph, providing rare critical and personal context for understanding the studio's recent trajectory.
Key Features
- 320 pages of project documentation, drawings, and photography across fifteen featured works
- Text by architect Maki Onishi and a conversation between Onishi, Sejima, and Nishizawa
- Notable projects include Hitachi City Hall, Naoshima Port in Honmura (SANAA), Sumida Hokusai Museum, a new library at Japan Women's University (Sejima), Jining Art Museum, an office building, and six private residences (Nishizawa)
- Published by El Croquis, ISBN: 9788412003475
What You'll Discover
- How Sejima and Nishizawa's individual practices diverge in programme, scale, and formal strategy when working independently of SANAA
- The role of civic and cultural institutions — from city halls to art museums — in shaping SANAA's approach to public space in Japan and China
- The relationship between intimate residential commissions and the studio's broader architectural language, visible across Nishizawa's six private houses
- Critical perspectives from Maki Onishi that situate this body of work within broader conversations in contemporary Japanese architecture
About the Author
[Details available upon request]
Specifications
- Format: Softcover
- Pages: 320
- Dimensions: 250 x 340 mm
- Language: English
- ISBN: 9788412003475
- Publisher: El Croquis
- Publication Date: [Details available upon request]
Perfect For: Architects, architecture students, and researchers with a focused interest in contemporary Japanese architecture, SANAA's practice, and the El Croquis monograph series.