a+u 647: OMA — Shohei Shigematsu maps the evolving practice of one of OMA's most significant figures, tracing how Shigematsu's work across New York and Tokyo holds rational structure and soft form in deliberate, productive tension.
About This Book
Shohei Shigematsu has led OMA New York since 2006, guiding a body of work that spans educational facilities, art museums, exhibition design, and large-scale commercial complexes. This monographic issue of a+u examines what connects those disparate programmes: an architecture Shigematsu describes as "open-ended" — capable of absorbing and reflecting society in the moment. Rather than resolving form toward a signature aesthetic, his projects hold the rational box and the soft, indeterminate form in coexistence, particularly within the contemporary public realm. With 34 projects, extended essays, and two in-depth conversations with the architect, this issue is essential reading for those tracking the evolution of OMA's thinking beyond Rotterdam.
Key Features
- 216 pages of curated project photography, drawings, and critical essays
- Essays by Shohei Shigematsu and contributing writers, plus two conversations with the architect
- 34 projects spanning New York and Tokyo, including educational facilities, art museums, exhibition designs, and high-rise commercial complexes
- Published by Shinkenchiku-sha, 2024
What You'll Discover
- How Shigematsu frames "open-endedness" as a design strategy — architecture that remains responsive to social conditions rather than asserting fixed meaning
- The formal dialogue between the rational box and soft, fluid form as it plays out across civic and commercial programmes
- A comparative reading of OMA's work in two distinct urban contexts — New York and Tokyo — through 34 built and unbuilt projects
- Shigematsu's own articulation of his practice through essays and extended conversations, offering direct insight into the intellectual framework behind the work
About the Author
Shohei Shigematsu has led OMA New York since 2006. His practice spans educational facilities, art museums, exhibition design, and high-rise commercial complexes, with a body of work concentrated across New York and Tokyo.
Specifications
- Format: Softcover
- Pages: 216
- Dimensions: 220 x 290 mm
- Language: English
- ISBN: 9784900213067
- Publisher: Shinkenchiku-sha
- Publication Date: 2024
Perfect For: Architects and students following OMA's international expansion, designers interested in the formal and programmatic logic of large-scale civic and cultural buildings, and anyone tracking contemporary practice in New York and Tokyo.