Shigeru Ban

Shigeru Ban was born in 1957 in Tokyo. After studying architecture in Los Angeles and New York, in 1985, he opened his own studio in Tokyo. Ban's buildings are characterised by the simplicity of traditional Japanese architecture, which he reinterprets with western influences. The year 1986 saw his international breakthrough – with cardboard tubes.

Taking inspiration from the tubes of paper rolls that remain at his office when the paper is used up, Ban uses sturdy tubes to construct walls, roofs and load-bearing structures. He has constructed entire residential buildings, a church and also a bridge from the lightweight, recyclable and easy-to-process material. His pavilion at the Hanover Expo 2000 demonstrated the versatile applications of cardboard and his emergency shelters for the victims of the Kobe and Haiti earthquakes attracted international attention.

In May 2010, the Centre Pompidou in Metz was opened, which is his best-known work to date. With the 2013 Tamedia extension, Zurich also features a building designed by the Japanese star architect. In 2014, Shigeru Ban was awarded the Pritzker Prize, the highest accolade for architects.

Carta Collection

Inspired by using cardboard tubes as construction material, Shigeru Ban first designed furniture for his home in Japan. He continued to create furniture for his architectural projects, including the Miyake Design Studio Gallery in Tokyo. Now, wb form Zurich is exclusively bringing this high-end furniture collection by the Japanese architect to Switzerland.

wb form sells design classics and new products by renowned designers like Max Bill. The Carta Collection continues wb form’s traditional values of ecology in design and production. Like the entire collection, products like the Lounge Chair – with a seat made from thin, waterproof and durable cardboard tubes and a simple birch plywood frame – represent the ecological values of our time. Perfectly designed and featuring natural organic forms, these pieces create a pleasant ambience with a warm and luxurious feel.