Rokko Housing by Tadao Ando (1983)

 

Architect: Tadao Ando

Location: Kobe, Japan

Completion: 1981-83

Rokko Housing I, II & III, designed by renowned Japanese architect Tadao Ando and completed in 1983 in Kobe, Japan, is a landmark example of modern residential architecture integrated into a steep natural landscape. The complex consists of 20 modular housing units, each measuring 5.8 × 4.8 meters, carefully arranged along the slope of Mount Rokko. The building adapts precisely to the terrain in section, while maintaining a symmetrical plan that reinforces structural clarity and balance. As the structure ascends the hillside, intentional voids are introduced. These interconnected spaces unify the entire complex and function as shared plazas, encouraging social interaction and visual continuity. Each unit opens onto private terraces oriented in different directions, offering panoramic views of the ocean and a strong connection to nature. Rokko Housing reflects Ando’s architectural philosophy, where architecture is not merely a response to function or context, but an independent system of thought. Through concrete, geometry, light, and space, the project invites residents to experience discovery, contemplation, and harmony with the environment — values central to Ando’s vision of human-centered architecture.

“We must create architectural spaces in which man can experience, as he does through poetry or music, surprise, discovery, intellectual stimulation, peace and the joy of living.”

— Tadao Ando