Offsite: Shigeru Ban

May 11, 2018 - October 8, 2018

Shigeru Ban
Paper Log House, 1995
full-size version of shelter
Vancouver Art Gallery Offsite
Photo: Trevor Mills, Vancouver Art Gallery

In 1995 a 6.9 magnitude earthquake struck the coast of Japan with its epicentre at the major port city of Kobe. More than 6,000 people were killed and 200,000 made homeless. A young Tokyo-based architect—Shigeru Ban—known for his innovative work utilizing paper and cardboard tubing as a building material, was invited to respond to the urgent need for temporary relief shelter. His interest in paper, with its low cost, easy accessibility and simple application, provided him with readymade materials to design and build a sturdy, economical and ecologically sustainable home for thousands who were displaced in the disaster. This simple building has become the prototype for similar disaster relief structures built around the world for the past twenty years.


Offsite: Shigeru Ban is organized by the Vancouver Art Gallery's Institute of Asian Art and curated by Bruce Grenville, Senior Curator


  • Shigeru Ban
    Paper Log House, 1995 (detail)
    full-size version of shelter
    Vancouver Art Gallery Offsite
    Photo: Trevor Mills, Vancouver Art Gallery


Exhibition Supporting Sponsor:
A program of the Vancouver Art Gallery’s Institute of Asian Art.
Founding Corporate Visionary Partner for the Institute of Asian Art:
Visionary Partners:

Liu Bao, Wang Ying and Liu Manzhao

Additional support from the IAA Development Committee:

Angela Bi, Gary Chen, Mei Deng, Amelia Gao, Shawn He, Liu Junjun, Yin Qing , Fiona Yang, Vivian Zhang, Cathy Zuo

Offsite is funded by the City of Vancouver through the Public Art Program. The Gallery recognizes Ian Gillespie, President, Westbank; Ben Yeung, President, Peterson Investment Group; and the residents of the Shangri-La for their support of this space.
Shigeru Ban is the 17th installation in the Gallery’s Offsite series. Offsite is located at 1100 West Georgia Street between Thurlow and Bute Streets, west of the Shangri-La Hotel.