“DISTANCE VS INTIMACY” – FUTURE OF CONCERT HALLS AFTER COVID-19

 “DISTANCE VS INTIMACY” – FUTURE OF CONCERT HALLS AFTER COVID-19

Dr. Yasuhisa Toyota, Yoshihiko Sano, Hon. FAIA, Sakon Kimura, JIA

Friday, November 20, 2020 @10:00 JST

SUMMARY:
Experts in designing concert halls appear in this session. They believe in the power of music and architecture. Covid-19 has refreshed their minds and given them new insights into future concert halls. Yasuhisa Toyota, known as one of the best acoustic engineers in the world, will join the discussion with his design experiences of Walt Disney Concert Hall in LA, Philharmonie de Paris, Elbphilharmonie in Hamburg, etc. Yoshihiko Sano, Hon. FAIA and Sakon Kimura will reveal how Suntory Hall Tokyo was planned and designed. The discussion will be chaired by Yasushi Nishimura, President of AIA Japan.

ABOUT THE PANELIST:

Dr. Yasuhisa Toyota is founder, of Nagata Acoustics International. With over 40 years of experience in designing some of the world’s finest performance venues, Dr. Toyota is an established international authority in the field of concert hall design.

Dr. Toyota began his professional career in 1977, joining Nagata Acoustics immediately following his academic studies. In 2001, Dr. Toyota spearheaded launching an office in Los Angeles, and in 2008 Nagata Acoustics International, Inc. was formed. Over his career, Dr. Toyota has been project leader for more than 80 concert hall and multipurpose hall projects. His expertise focuses on hall configuration design and the design of acoustical spaces for orchestral, chamber music and other non-amplified musical genres.

Dr. Toyota received honorary doctorates of science from Bard College, NY and the Art Center College of Design, Los Angeles, in 2004. Other awards include:

• Sound Engineers & Artists Society of Japan Award (2012)
• Richard Colburn Award (Colburn School) (2018)
• WATANABE Akeo Music Foundation Special Award (2020)
• Among Dr. Toyota’s completed projects, some of the best known are:
• Suntory Hall, Tokyo, Japan (1986)
• Sapporo Concert Hall (Kitara), Sapporo, Japan (1997)
• Walt Disney Concert Hall, Los Angeles, USA (2003)
• MUZA Kawsaki Symphony Hall, Kawasaki, Japan (2004)
• Mariinsky Concert Hall, St. Petersburg, Russia (2006)
• Danish Radio Concert Hall, Copenhagen, Denmark (2009)
• Radio France Auditorium, Paris, France (2014)
• Shanghai Symphony Hall, Shanghai, China (2014)
• Philharmonie de Paris. Paris, France (2015)
• Elbphilharmonie, Hamburg, Germany (2017)
• Pierre Boulez Saal, Berlin, Germany (2017)
• Zaryadye Concert Hall, Moscow, Russia (2018).

Ar. Yoshihiko Sano, Hon. FAIA has worked as an architect since he graduated from Tokyo University of Science with the degrees of Bachelor of Engineering (Architecture) in 1979 and Master of Engineering (Architecture) in 1981. He worked in the design department of the Takenaka Corporation until 1986 when he joined Yasui Architects & Engineers, Inc. He was elevated to President/Principal Architect at Yasui Architects & Engineers in 1997.

In addition to his position as a leading architect and business leader, Yoshihiko is a respected force in the Japan Institute of Architects (JIA) and its relationship with the AIA. He became admitted to Honorary Fellowship AIA in 2016. Besides, he is an excellent and passionate academic teacher of architecture, and he encourages aspiring students with a sincere and earnest manner. He received awards including the following: Minister of Land, Transport and Tourism Award in 2011 and the Prize of Architectural Institute of Japan in 2019.

Yasui Architects & Engineers was established in 1924 by Takeo Yasui, Grandfather of Yoshihiko Sano. The firm is known as a legendary big design and engineering firm (377 professionals, including 194 Registered Architects /1st Class Kenchikushi). In Japan and Asian countries, Yasui Architects & Engineers projects include churches, skyscrapers, factories, universities, museums, sports, transportation facilities, and services also include urban planning, construction management and business consulting.

Director, Yasui Architects & Engineers

Ar. Sakon Kimura, Architect, JIA has worked as an architect since he graduated from Chubu University with the degrees of Bachelor of Engineering (Architecture) in 1977 and Master of Engineering (Architecture) in 1979.

He has been working in the design department of Yasui Architects & Engineers, Inc. since 1979.

He is director, Yasui Architects & Engineers, Inc.

He received awards including the following:

• Chubu Architecture Award in 1988
• Illumination Engineering Society of North America Award in 2006
• The Prize of Architectural Institute of China in 2008
• The Prize of Kanagawa Architecture Concours in 2012
• Good Design Award in 2016
• The Prize of Architectural Institute of Japan in 2019.
• Among Kimura’s completed projects, some of the best known are:
• Suntory Hall, Tokyo, Japan in 1986
• Tokyo National Museum .Heiseikan in 1999
• Tokyo Shiodome Building (CONRAD TOKYO) in 2006
• Inner-Mongolia Theater and Museum, China in 2007
• Marunouchi Trust Tower (Shangri-La Hotel) in 2008
• Tokyo National Museum .Renovation in 2013～2019
• Suntory Hall, Tokyo, Japan .Renovation in 1991～2020