Keynote: Shigeru Ban

The opening ceremony also featured a keynote speech by Shigeru Ban, a world-renowned architect who has worked on disaster relief architecture internationally. In addition, the exhibition booth featured a Paper Partition System made of paper tubes, which is used by VAN (Voluntary Architects’ Network), the organization represented by Ban, to support victims in times of disaster. A special booth also displayed examples of its use in times of disaster.

Mr Shigeru BAN is a Japanese architect known for his innovative work with temporary, prefabricated, or inexpensive and unconventional materials to quickly and efficiently house people affected by disasters. His work with the Voluntary Architects’ Network, which he founded in 1995, has provided temporary post-disaster structures in various countries. He started his eponymous architecture firm in 1985 with offices in Tokyo, Paris, and New York. In 2014, Ban was named 37th recipient of the Pritzker Architecture Prize, the most prestigious prize in modern architecture, recognizing his dedication to humanitarian efforts around the world. Mr Ban’s work is featured in the UR24 Exhibition Area. Booths are made from the innovative “Paper Partition System (PPS)” developed by Shigeru Ban Architects and the Voluntary Architects’ Network. PPS uses simple materials like paper tubes and fabrics to create interconnected units, providing modest privacy to evacuees who endure communal living in large spaces. For UR24, the use of traditional yet innovative paper material in PPS for shelters embody the theme of “Tradition, Innovation, and Resilience.”