It’s very sad what happened in Japan, or thoughts and prayers are with them.
Miyagi’s capital of Sendai, where 200-300 people have been reported dead by local police, is a city of one million famous for two big reasons in the architecture world: one, it’s the birthplace of architect Hiroshi Abe(b. 1962) and two,Toyo Ito’s celebrated Sendai Mediatheque was built here, finished in 2001. Ten years later, it remains to be seen what is left of the transparent box floating six steel-ribbed slabs whose impact on engineering, aesthetics, and community are undisputed.
But suffice it to say, this is about more than one building.
In recent years, following disasters in New Orleans and Haiti, architects across the globe have responded with due diligence to innovate temporary shelters, relief infrastructure, and longer-term housing solutions for devastated communities. Of course, it takes time to build, so first we must assess the problem areas: damage to infrastructure, population/housing, energy, economy, and global impact.