SANAA architects vision: an academic experience
It is one of the top architectural firms in the world. Its projects aren’t just successful—they’ve become icons, not only in the field of design but also in shaping contemporary style. That’s why working with SANAA is a major achievement worth celebrating.
Who are the partners of SANAA architects?
SANAA stands for Sejima and Nishizawa and Associates, a Tokyo-based architectural firm founded in 1995 by architects Kazuyo Sejima and Ryue Nishizawa. In under 30 years, the firm earned global recognition, including the Golden Lion at the 2004 Venice Biennale for the most significant project in the 9th International Architecture Exhibition.
In 2010, Sejima and Nishizawa received the prestigious Pritzker Prize, often called the Nobel Prize of architecture. The award honors living architects whose work demonstrates vision, talent, and dedication.
What is the philosophy of SANAA architecture?
Delicate yet bold, fluid yet precise, intelligent and inventive: these are the qualities often used to describe SANAA architecture. Their work seamlessly interacts with its environment and offers immersive experiences to those who move through it.
- Transparency and lightness. SANAA architects frequently use large glass facades and open spaces to create a sense of transparency and visual weightlessness.
- Simple geometries. Clean, straightforward shapes dominate their design language, reinforcing a refined and modern aesthetic.
- Spatial ambiguity. Their projects often challenge spatial expectations, producing dynamic and thought-provoking environments.
- Integration with surroundings. Whether urban or natural, SANAA’s buildings are designed to blend harmoniously with their settings.
- Innovative use of materials. From glass to expanded metal, the firm is known for its creative approach to materials, using them to achieve both visual elegance and technical performance.
What is SANAA architecture known for?
SANAA architects Kazuyo Sejima and Ryue Nishizawa are behind some of the most internationally recognized buildings which celebrated for their ethereal appearance, white surfaces, and sense of lightness. Their style draws deeply from Japanese culture, yet it adapts fluidly to each project’s context.
Some of their most acclaimed works include:
- the New Museum of Contemporary Art in New York;
- the Toledo Museum of Art’s Glass Pavilion in Ohio (USA);
- the 21st Century Museum of Contemporary Art in Kanazawa (Japan);
- the Louvre-Lens Museum in Lens (France);
- the Serpentine Pavilion in London;
- the Rolex Learning Center at EPFL in Lausanne (Switzerland);
- the New Bocconi University Campus in Milan (Italy);
- the Christian Dior Building in Omotesandō, Tokyo (Japan).
What materials are used in SANAA architecture?
When SANAA received the 2010 Pritzker Prize, the jury praised their ability to design architecture that is “simultaneously delicate and powerful, precise and fluid, ingenious but not overly or overtly clever”.
The firm is renowned for creating curvilinear buildings that feel almost weightless. Their structures often have transparent, barely-there walls—yet their presence is strong and unmistakable.
Glazing cladding is a signature element in SANAA architecture. It expresses both minimalism and innovation. In some buildings, glass facades are the focal point; in others, they work in synergy with other materials—such as at the new Bocconi Campus in Milan, where expanded metal plays a central role.
Here, glass facades are overlaid with a wave-like mesh of expanded metal. This approach softens the visual impact, maintains transparency, and provides effective shading. To meet SANAA’s vision of lightness, panels up to six meters long were fabricated, each with varying width and depth.
These mesh panels are fully self-supporting. Even the walkways on every floor are made of expanded metal to preserve transparency and avoid visual heaviness.
The result is a structure that resonates not just with professionals and architecture enthusiasts, but also with those who experience it day to day. It is a standout project in the global academic landscape.
