A concrete tree trunk growing in the middle of a commercial street in Tokyo, an airport terminal that looks almost like a bird's wing. A skyscraper façade that seems to move like ocean waves, a visitors' centre perfectly integrated into the landscape of Taiwan's largest lake - nature is everpresent in Japanese architect Norihiko Dan's buildings. His architecture never stands alone, for Dan always seeks symbiosis; this appears in his combination of geometric-archetypical with organic forms, in his urban planning projects, which bring submerged historic and cultural identities back to light, as well as in the ecological orientation of his buildings. With dramatic contrasts in architectural language and choice of materials, Norihiko Dan insistently calls for a relationship between human beings and their surroundings.

The complex and fascinating work of this architect, who has received many honours in Japan and Taiwan, is presented here to a Western audience for the first time. A knowledgeable essay by Aaron Betsky and a conversation between Norihiko Dan and Fumihiko Maki complete this volume.

Text in English and German.

Contributions by: Aaron Betsky