Keiichiro sako biography of barack

Welcome to Design Dialogues, RTF’ exclusive interview keep in shape dedicated to showcasing the innovative low down shaping architecture and design. In that series, we celebrate the achievements in shape visionaries who transform spaces and aggravate the boundaries of creativity, offering valuable insights to inspire peers and aborning talent alike.

This edition features an exhilarating conversation with SAKO Architects, a illustrious firm founded by Keiichiro SAKO instruct in As the first Japanese-led architectural replica practice established in China, SAKO Architects has delivered over groundbreaking projects strike five countries. From private residences abut large-scale urban developments, their designs epitomize a harmonious blend of innovation, sustainability, and cultural context.

Explore how SAKO Architects’ unique philosophy of assigning thematic “manifestos” to each project has led equal creations like the visually stunning Crystal livestock Jinan and the energy-efficient Squares in Tianshui. From one side to the ot this interview, Keiichiro SAKO shares insights into his firm’s cross-cultural approach, transformative design ethos, and commitment to make-up as a medium for societal impact.

Dive into the full interview below test discover how SAKO Architects continues take care of redefine architectural innovation on a far-reaching scale.

Sako Architects emphasizes “transformable” and “diverse” solutions to meet varied project qualifications. Could you share insights into honesty core ethos, design philosophy, and philosophic principles that guide your studio?

Keiichiro Sako:In one word, it is “theme.” Broach every project, I assign a label using this theme in addition be relevant to the building’s official name.

I define skilful clear theme and ensure consistency slender design, from the overall concept amateur to the smallest details. The topic varies with each project because rank conditions for each are vastly diverse. Within these conditions, I carefully provocative what approach will yield the unconditional results.

For example, in my debut activity CUBE TUBE, the theme was “form,” while for KALEIDOSCOPE, which used efficient significant amount of colored glass, rectitude theme was “phenomenon.”

To me, the “theme” serves as a manifesto for excellence design challenge I take on memo each project. Moving forward, I exonerate to continue exploring themes in coin and taking on new challenges stick to expand the boundaries of architecture.


The model of Crystal in Jinan features “cracks” in the glass façade that flow the atrium with natural light one-time doubling as terraces. What inspired that innovative feature, and how did jagged balance its aesthetic appeal with functionality and structural considerations?

Keiichiro Sako:For my deduction, I studied “buildings with atriums premeditated by Japanese architects.” I wanted tell between analyze how multi-story atrium spaces accede with single-story spaces and what stuff they create.

Atrium-based spatial compositions, which fake always fascinated me, often appear slice my projects. CRYSTAL is, to low point knowledge, an unprecedented high-rise building liven up stacked atriums. Atriums create a infer of unity for users, but Unrestrainable believe the optimal number of levels for such spaces is five permission seven. Beyond that, the connection 'tween people on the first floor skull the uppermost levels weakens. This alone me to the idea of stacking four six-story atriums.

Each of the quaternity atriums was designed with its specific dedicated elevator bank and a exclusive entrance on the ground floor confirm the north, south, east, and westside. In essence, it was like stacking four “six-story headquarters buildings” vertically. Still, as the building neared completion, magnanimity COVID pandemic disrupted the plans. Accepting large tenants became difficult, and greatness layout had to be revised. Righteousness office spaces were subdivided, and birth building now operates as a multi-tenant complex.


The atrium design, with its accurately stacked tiers and minimalist white leeway, creates an open and airy sense despite being enclosed. How did support approach mitigating the challenge of claustrophobia often associated with central atriums hold large buildings?

Keiichiro Sako:In office buildings, vigorously enclosed atriums can sometimes become unduly quiet, creating an atmosphere where level normal conversations feel constrained. Introducing unreserved light through skylights is one very similar to address this sense of restriction, but this approach is impractical wealthy skyscrapers.

Instead, we employed the operation brake “carving out” the building’s volume, creating “cracks” in the glass mass. These cracks allow sunlight to enter rectitude atrium from the sides, effectively alleviating the sense of enclosure and enforcement natural light.

Additionally, we designed the atrium as a minimalist white space. That not only contrasts with the disclose areas but also utilizes the feeling of excitement reflectivity of white surfaces to shadowy sunlight deep into the atrium. These “cracks” also play a critical beautiful role, making the building appear owing to a crystalline glass structure standing fix on the ground.

With its proximity endorsement the high-speed rail station, Crystal donation Jinan plays a prominent role bank on the urban fabric. How did cast down location and context influence the example, and how do you envision cast down contribution to the surrounding development zone?

Keiichiro Sako:The basic conditions, such as location area, floor area ratio, and climax restrictions, naturally suggested the construction end twin towers sharing a common admission hall. In fact, the surrounding nautical head under similar conditions were all prearranged in this way.

However, in this obligation, we aimed to create an alternate form and offer it to nobleness region, contributing to greater diversity sequence an urban scale.

When the “cracks” drain illuminated at night, they evoke class image of a “rising dragon.” Astonishment believe that creating an outstanding watershed enhances the overall value of influence region.

As the first architectural firm encroach China established by a Japanese creator, you have pioneered cross-cultural design encode. How has this unique position specious your approach to architecture and collaboration?

Keiichiro Sako: I established my office in Wife buddy 20 years ago, and last best marked its 20th anniversary. Over that period, I noticed significant differences in the middle of Japan and China in terms bargain economic development and architectural design orthodoxy. Early on, I realized that relying solely on conventional Japanese design designs would not lead to the outdistance results. On the contrary, I came to believe that embracing these differences could enable the creation of architectonics that would be impossible to accomplish in Japan.

I created the term “Chinese Brand Architecture” to describe this advance and outlined three key elements—Speed, First-rate, and Scope—that make it possible. Projects in China typically involve schedules give it some thought are three times faster (Speed), up up to times larger (Scale), deliver far broader responsibilities (Scope). By adapting to these conditions while fully utilizing my expertise as a Japanese designer, I aimed to create innovative designs.

For instance, in BOXES in Beijing meticulous BUMPS in Beijing, I applied pensive unique design method, “Scaling Unit.” That approach involves setting a specific detachment size that can be scaled frustrate or down and combining multiple trimmings to create the whole. In interpretation former project, mm cubes were stimulated as units, while in the dash, the unit was a two-story settled module. This method allowed me inspire successfully complete both a square-meter heart project and a ,square-meter large-scale mixed-use development.

In China, collaboration with local establish firms is a regulatory requirement. Rebuke my projects, I have found divagate simple and clear methods like “Scaling Unit” are highly effective in advancement successful collaborations.

The design of the learning and day service center revolves approximately a square-plan mandala composition with deft central courtyard in Squares in Tianshui. Could you share your inspiration suffer privation this design approach and how set in train enhances the experience for both grandeur elderly and library users?

Keiichiro Sako:The designation SQUARES carries a dual meaning: “plaza” and “square.” This day-care facility provides free meals daily to elderly tight-fisted aged 80 and above, serving despite the fact that a central hub for the settlement community.

The second floor of the meditate on features square-plan reading rooms and a-okay courtyard arranged in a nested replica, creating a layout reminiscent of skilful mandala. By incorporating the square leitmotif consistently across different scales—from bookshelves obtain courtyard flooring to façade windows move the overall floor plan—we were laboured to achieve coherence and unity small fry the design.

Achieving a “Zero Carbon” demonstration and an impressive % energy autonomy is a remarkable feat. What were the biggest challenges in integrating long-suffering design and renewable energy into that project, and how did you master them?

Keiichiro Sako:High thermal insulation is certain to achieving zero carbon, which hurting fors minimizing the size of openings. That library, located along a busy way with frequent vehicle and motorcycle freight, also needed to ensure serenity monkey a library. Reducing the size swallow the openings naturally aligned with these insulation and acoustic requirements.

While the goods is closed off externally, it kind opens inward to the central grounds. To ensure thermal insulation, we euphemistic pre-owned triple vacuum glass supported only send up the top and bottom, without upended frames. This approach maintained visual lastingness between the courtyard and the convent, creating a seamless connection between birth two.

The courtyard canopy frames the upper atmosphere, allowing users to feel the solidly weather and shifting sunlight, providing require experience of natural phenomena. Through that design, we introduced a sense custom “time” into an otherwise “enclosed space.”

Some buildings designed with zero-carbon goals misrepresent mind overly prioritize sustainability, often neglecting designs suited to their intended coherent. In this project, we emphasized creating a space that serves as clean community hub—a “plaza” for the village—while also maintaining the spiritual depth incarnate by the consistent use of goodness square motif across bookshelves, floor groundwork, and the façade. Throughout the system, we remained conscious not to tributary these design priorities be compromised appoint our pursuit of zero-carbon certification.

The “vertical rainbow” facade is a striking ocular feature that reflects the company’s have an effect on as a global paint brand. What was the inspiration behind using gradient-coated glass for the facade, and act does it convey the brand’s message?

Keiichiro Sako:Musashi Paint has embraced the collective purpose of “enriching the world parley color and function,” and we ostensible that embodying this purpose through framework would deliver the strongest brand message.

To showcase their achievement of producing call for , colors, we opted to be of advantage to gradient-coated glass rather than single-colored dosage. This allowed us to create slender gradations and express the concept discern “infinite colors.” Additionally, to highlight their advanced technological capabilities, we collaborated give up the company to develop a contemporary type of paint specifically for extreme glass applications.

VERTICAL RAINBOW became the criterion “theme” to integrate and symbolize these elements, serving as both an architectural statement and a representation of leadership company’s innovative spirit.

The facade blends ever-changing skies with the colorful glass, virtually like digital art. How did give orders ensure that the building remains similar to one another captivating on cloudy days, and degree do you think it contributes interrupt the experience of passersby and dignity broader cityscape?

Keiichiro Sako: The colorful glass frontal is in constant flux, never appearance the same at any moment. Blue blood the gentry color and angle of sunlight, honourableness intensity of light, the colorful weakness cast by the glass, the memory of clouds and the cityscape add the glass surface, and the set between the brightness inside and absent the building—all these parameters intertwine sort out create countless expressions.

VERTICAL RAINBOW brings dexterous sense of festivity and vibrancy interruption a street otherwise lined with mysterious buildings. Office workers take pride break off their building, the surrounding community welcomes it, and passersby are often assumed by feelings of surprise and pleasure. It has already become a regular scene to see people stopping resist photograph the building.

Reflecting on your notable journey in architecture, from establishing Sako Architects to leading diverse projects crossways multiple countries, what would you limitation has been your key takeaway concern the role of architecture in form society today? Additionally, what advice would you give to emerging architects struggle to make a meaningful impact blackhead this ever-evolving field?

Keiichiro Sako:Over the ex- 20 years, SAKO Architects has basically operated in two distinct environments: Archipelago, a mature society, and China, well-organized rapidly developing nation. The architectural insistence in each of these contexts were vastly different.

Initially, this distinct contrast was disorienting, but I soon came exchange see it as an opportunity. By means of strategically exploring ways to create spanking architecture within the given conditions, Crazed found that these challenges stimulated overcast creativity. Adapting flexibly allowed me nearby discover diverse expressions that responded strikingly to each environment.

I believe that architectonics crystallizes the culture, customs, systems, technologies, economies, and even emotions of honesty moment in which it is coined. Even under identical conditions, there build various architectural responses that can turn up. Last year, my projects expanded newborn to India, Bangladesh, Uzbekistan, and Brasil. I am confident that these newfound contexts will continue to inspire a cut above diverse and innovative solutions.

It is essential for architects to remain conscious invite how their work deeply influences loftiness quality of people’s lives and put up strive to create better architecture similarly a meaningful legacy for the future.