On October 25, 2025, an exhibition by world-renowned Pritzker Prize-winning architect Shigeru Ban will open at the Manggha Museum of Japanese Art and Technology in Krakow. The exhibition, which will last for five months, will showcase the wealth of work of the artist known for his groundbreaking design solutions, use of natural materials, most notably wood and paper tubes.
installation
The exhibition is the first in a series dedicated to the memory of Arata Isozaki - the architect of the Manggha Museum, who died in 2022. The idea and scientific supervisor of the exhibition is Prof. Krzysztof Ingarden, the curators are Hubert Trammer and Dominik Lysik, coordination: Aleksandra Kalfas.
student projects in dialogue with the master
A unique complement to the exhibition will be experimental spatial installations designed and executed by architecture students of two Polish universities in a joint workshop: Faculty of Architecture and Fine Arts at Andrzej Frycz Modrzewski University in Krakow and Faculty of Architecture at Wrocław University of Technology. Students from Krakow (HAUZ07 Scientific Circle) worked under the direction of Prof. Krzysztof Ingarden and arch. Piotr Urbanowicz , while students from Wroclaw (Protolab scientific group) - under the supervision of Prof. Romuald Tarczewski, Dr. Jerzy Łątka and Dr. Agata Jasiołek.
Paper, wood and man - the work of Shigeru Ban
Shigeru Ban' s work has fascinated and inspired for years. The Japanese master, in addition to spectacular designs of villas or seats of cultural institutions, is famous for his social commitment. He designs objects that give shelter to victims of natural disasters and wars, using simple, accessible materials such as Styrofoam or paper tubes. It is his pro-social approach, combining innovation with humanism, that inspired the students participating in the workshop.
design works
Shigeru Ban exhibition and student installations
The workshop included a full design cycle - from concept to completion. Work began in April 2025 in Krakow, Poland, where students met with architect Yasunori Harano of Shigeru Ban's studio, listened to his lecture and presented their ideas for spatial compositions made of paper tubes. The final construction of the installation took place in July 2025 in Wroclaw, during an international workshop organized by ProtoLAB and led by Dr. Jerzy Lątka of Wroclaw University of Technology.
Two selected installation projects, one from Wroclaw (by Julia Liminowicz) and one from Krakow (by Rafal Burtan), will be assembled on the grounds of the Manggha Museum and will accompany the main exhibition presented at the Europe Far East Gallery.
construction and technical solutions
The installation was created in several design variants, which differed in the number and layout of the tubes. The final form was optimized for stability and strength, while remaining light and visually expressive. An important element of the concept was the partial use of wooden connecting elements - referring to carpentry traditions and the history of wooden structures in European and Japanese architecture.
Recycled paper tubes were impregnated to withstand the weather. This allows GATE to be an outdoor installation that functions not only as a sculpture, but also as a usable space - a place for meetings, workshops or intimate cultural events.
design work
"KI" - energy of life
The symbolism of the project was further deepened by the Japanese idea of "KI" - meaning the energy of life, the flow of vital forces, and the harmony of man with the surrounding world. Thus, the GATE installation has not only a formal and architectural dimension, but also a spiritual one.
As the creators emphasize: GATE is more than an object - it is a transition, an experience and a symbol. We wanted it to reflect in its simplicity the idea of meeting, cooperation and mutual exchange between people from different cultures.
As part of the Krakow group, the workshop was attended by UAFM students Jan Skalka, Dawid Danikiewicz, Tetiana Borovkova, Wiktoria Bryl, Joanna Mikolajec, Rafal Burtan, Darja Linchyk-Khvei, Magdalena Lenko, Szymon Tomala, Magdalena Marasik, Ola Maslenkowa, Bartlomiej Kosinski, Kateryna Karpovka and Julia Urbanowicz, among others.
The Wroclaw group included students Natalia Czemiel, Weronika Karólak, Kacper Kowalczyk, Julia Liminowicz, Zuzanna Mielczarek, Emilia Płachetko, Jagoda Świątkowska.
We are already inviting you to the grand opening of the Shigeru Ban exhibition at the Manggha Museum of Japanese Art and Technology in Krakow, which will take place on October 25, 2025.
