Toyo Ito: New Berkeley Art Museum & Pacific Film Archive

Date: Saturday, April 11, 2009 (7:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m.) Location: Wheeler Auditorium, Wheeler Hall, UC Berkeley (Free Admission) Toyo Ito Architect, Tokyo, Japan; Architect of the New Berkeley Art Museum and Pacific Film Archive http://bampfa.berkeley.edu/newbuilding/ http://www.toyo-ito.com/ Berkeley, a place of playful philosophers and poets, is an ideal environment for Toyo Ito, the architect of the planned new BAM/PFA facility in downtown Berkeley. Ito grapples with modernity and its meaning and struggles with the implications of the ephemeral in architecture and the impact of the unseen spaces of information technology. Yet his work is sensual and supple. His architecture is unpretentious about its most important achievement: being almost impossible. He’s way ahead of the curve, applying innovative approaches with a light touch that appears simple. Considering how compatible Ito’s interests are with the art world’s own engagement with the ephemeral, it is surprising that he is only now designing his first art museum as he nears the end of his seventh decade. BAM/PFA’s new building will also be Ito’s first work in North America. In this special event, Toyo Ito will engage the audience with his observations on Japanese architecture today and explore the implications of his own most innovative works. Tickets will be available on a first-come-first-served basis at the Wheeler Auditorium box office starting at 6 p.m.; doors open at 6:30. Seating is limited, so please arrive early. Cosponsored by the Center for Japanese Studies, the Department of Architecture at UC Berkeley, and the UC Berkeley Art Museum and Pacific Film Archive. http://arch.ced.berkeley.edu/events/lectures