The Influence of Japanese traditional aesthetics in Tadao Ando’s Architecture: An examination of the Church of the Light

Abstract

This article examines the Church of the Light, a signature work by the architect Tadao Ando constructed in 1989, as a means to illustrate how central Japanese aesthetic traditional values, in particular wabi-sabi and yûgen, are still considered central concepts in the appreciation of beauty in the country. Based on the findings, this paper argues that Japanese aesthetic values tend to evolve in a cumulative rather than exclusivist or substitutive fashion. In this manner, past aesthetic traditions are embraced instead of rejected when new forms of art expression emerge and Japanese aesthetic principles tend to evolve in a cumulative manner.