Japanese architect Shigeru Ban, the founder and creative lead at Shigeru Ban Architects, has been awarded the 2026 AIA Gold Medal, the highest honor bestowed by the American Institute of Architects (AIA).

Shigeru Ban transformed architecture by using renewable resources like paper and timber to create durable, sustainable structures like the Cardboard Cathedral and disaster shelters. He has been an educator for more than 30 years, empowering students via practical projects that highlight the sustainability and service possibilities of design.

"A hallmark of Ban's practice is his pioneering use of humble, renewable materials, particularly paper and timber. What began as an effort to minimize waste in exhibition design evolved into a revolutionary structural system," stated the AIA in an announcement. 

"His work with paper tubes, from temporary disaster relief shelters to the permanent Cardboard Cathedral in Christchurch, New Zealand, demonstrates how inexpensive, recyclable materials can create elegant and resilient structures," the announcement added.

Christchurch Cardboard Cathedral, 2013. New Zealand. Image ©︎ Stephen Goodenough, Courtesy of Shigeru Ban Architects

Born in Tokyo, Ban was raised in an artistic and sophisticated family. A young Ban was fascinated with the traditional work of carpenters since his family resided in a wooden home that was frequently restored. He decided he wanted to become a carpenter since he liked building things out of discarded wood.

Ban relocated to California in 1977 to pursue his English studies. The recently established Southern California Institute of Architecture (SCI-Arc) was his choice. In 1980, Ban successfully transferred to Cooper Union after finishing his fourth year at SCI-Arc. 

Dean Maltz, his future office partner in New York, and other prominent architects were among his classmates there. He received instruction from notable individuals such as John Hejduk, Bernard Tschumi, and Ricardo Scofidio. Ban took a leave of absence to work in the late Arata Isozaki's Tokyo office prior to his final year. In 1984, he returned to Cooper Union and graduated with a Bachelor of Architecture.

Centre Pompidou Metz, 2010. Image ©︎ ShunKambe, The Japan Art Association

Without any prior employment experience, Ban opened his own practice in Tokyo in 1985. Additionally, he was a curator at the Axis Gallery, where he created exhibitions for Judith Turner, Alvar Aalto, and Emilio Ambasz. He initially created the paper-tube shapes that would become his trademark during the Aalto show. Through a number of case study designs, such as the "Curtain Wall House," "Wall-Less House," and "Naked House," he proceeded to investigate his ideas.

Ban's innovative use of simple, renewable materials, especially paper and wood, is a defining feature of his work. What started out as an attempt to reduce waste in exhibition design developed into a ground-breaking structural framework. His work with paper tubes shows how low-cost, recyclable materials may be used to produce exquisite and durable structures, from temporary disaster relief shelters to the permanent Cardboard Cathedral in Christchurch, New Zealand.

Toyota City Museum, 2024. Image ©︎ The Japan Art Association / The Sankei Shimbun

As fundamental as his tangible creations are Ban's dedication to service. He established the Voluntary Architects’ Network (VAN), an NGO committed to delivering disaster aid globally, in 1995 in the wake of the Kobe earthquake. 

Ban believes that the skills of an architect should be accessible to everyone, not just the privileged. Because of this conviction, VAN has completed over 50 projects in 23 countries, including privacy partitions for Ukrainian refugees and paper log cabins for refugees in Rwanda and Maui.

Swatch Headquarters, Biel/Bienne, Switzerland. Image courtesy of Swatch

Innovative developments in mass timber building have been fueled by Ban's ideology. The Swatch and Omega Campus, built in 2019, in Biel, Switzerland, which features a range of post-and-beam and gridshell constructions, is a prominent example. It is one of the biggest mass timber constructions in the world, built with 160,000 cubic feet of responsibly produced Swiss wood. This amount of wood, which makes up only 0.1% of Switzerland's yearly timber production, could be grown domestically in just 10 hours.

Other significant achievements include the Vierendeel gridshell of the Centre Pompidou-Metz (2010), the space frame roof of the Aspen Art Museum (2014), the hardwood joints of the Tamedia Office Building (2013), and Tamadic Nagoya (2021), an office building where Ban used cross-laminated timber (CLT) as permanent formwork to create a biophilic environment, overcoming code restrictions that prohibited timber as a primary structural material. 

The Aspen Art Museum in Aspen, Colorado. Image courtesy of a video

In the United States, initiatives like the Aspen Art Museum, built in 2014, and New York's Cast Iron House, built in 2025, demonstrate his contextual awareness and capacity to respect history while promoting architectural innovation.

"Shigeru’s sweet disposition and tenacious nature, present then and powerful today, has led to a body of work that illustrates the rich and diverse values of the AIA. Shigeru is an extraordinary person and of great energy, conviction, and kindness," said Tod Williams, FAIA, co-founder, Tod Williams Billie Tsien Architects. 

Paper Log House prototype at METU Faculty of Architecture. Image © Beril Kapusuz, courtesy of METU Urgent Design Studio

Ban has won numerous important international awards in recognition of his diverse and inventive work. These include the Mother Teresa Social Justice Award (2017), the Princess of Asturias Award for Concord (2022), the Praemium Imperiale for Architecture (2024), the Pritzker Prize (2014), and France's L'Ordre des Arts et des Lettres (2014).

At universities like Harvard, Cornell, and Columbia, Ban has been a committed teacher for more than 30 years, imparting his techniques to the upcoming generation of architects. Through practical construction, frequently including them in VAN projects, and proving that architecture can be a potent form of service, he empowers students. 

The career of Shigeru Ban serves as a powerful reminder of our profession's capacity to build a more just and sustainable world.

In 2025, architect and academician Deborah Berke won the 2025 AIA Gold Medal. Described as "a transformative figure in architecture whose career spans over four decades", Berke was praised for combining design excellence, academic leadership, and a commitment to social and environmental responsibility.

The top image in the article: Shigeru Ban ©︎ The Japan Art Association -The Sankei Shimbun. 

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