The River that Shaped a Philosophy

Tokyo-born architect Koichi Takada’s childhood in the 1970s unfolded along the banks of the Tama River, where he witnessed nature gradually give way to the encroaching city. That early awareness of loss and connection would come to shape his work and the practice he would later establish.

In a recent book published by Rizzoli, Koichi Takada: Naturalizing Architecture, we find a curated collection of his recent projects. Featuring photography of buildings and interiors alongside diagrams and images of the natural forms that inspire them, the book guides readers through Takada’s global body of work. A theme that emerges is of the interconnectedness of people with the environment; projects include Upper House in Brisbane, the Palm Frond Retreat at Balmoral Beach, the award-winning Solar Trees Marketplace in Shanghai and, closer to us, Mamsha Palm on Saadiyat Island in Abu Dhabi.

Across these works, Takada’s distinctive language emerges: a fusion of Japanese restraint with a willingness to challenge convention. Through flowing forms, layered structures, and gentle interplay of light, Takada’s work encourages pause and reflection, showing nature as a living presence within the city. With text by architectural writer Philip Jodidio, a foreword by Béatrice Grenier, Director of Curatorial Affairs at Fondation Cartier, and an afterword by Takada himself, the book unfolds over 240 pages of photography, diagrams, and reflection. Naturalizing Architecture marks a new stage in Takada’s work and reinforces his position as one of contemporary architecture’s most thoughtful and original voices. rizzolibookstore.com