Nurturing and tending buildings the Tadao Ando way

Tokyo

TADAO Ando, who treats architecture as a living thing that must be continually nurtured and tended, has expressed concern about the situation in contemporary Japan, where efficiency is often valued above all else.

"A building must not be at the peak of its beauty the moment after it is built," Mr Ando explained. "Works of architecture must be continually nurtured and tended. If a building is treated this way, those who use it will develop an attachment to it."