Seiichi Shirai

Seiichi Shirai(ja:白井晟一) was a Japanese architect. His eccentric, mysterious and extremely refined architectural language made him highly esteemed in his native country of Japan.

Seiichi Shirai or Seiichi Sirai
Seiichi Shirai. The building in his back is Matsuida town hall he design in 1959.
Born	1905
Died	1983
Nationality	Japanese
Occupation	Architect

Style

Seiichi Shirai's style is very unique. His unexpected way of using exquisite and rare (in Japan) materials (marmor, brick, nature stone) make his buildings seem to be independent of their surrounding and at odds with the common Japanese architecture of this time. Nevertheless, there are European influences, evidence of his studies in Europe, as well as Japanese influences present in his work: Particular use of European classicist furniture and facades are reminiscent of Carlo Scarpa.

Works

Shoto Museum Tokyo 1980, NOA Building (1964), Shinwa Bank Computer Tower, Nagasaki 1974,

References

Bart Lootsma:http://www.architekturtheorie.eu/?id=media_centre&sub_id=podcast&det_id=1&lang=DE&PHPSESSID=73a0b8bee3f624def067de6c1e2420a8&archive_id=251&cmd=start&PHPSESSID=73a0b8bee3f624def067de6c1e2420a8