HHEarthquakes, typhoons 　 there are lots of dangers in Japan. However, I don’t think we have to stop using glass because of that. All we need is a protective film, which keeps glass together when it breaks. From now on we should cover all glass constructions with this kind of safety film. I built a giant sports stadium in Aomori prefecture: Shimokita-Kokusetsu Dome. Its roof is entirely made of a thin, light and flexible foil, a coated glass fiber film. In the future materials like ETFE will open new doors and possibilities for architects, but a lot of research has to be done first to make them more resistant to fire and sunlight.

RHIf you would have to build a protective structure for yourself, a shelter, what would it look like, where would you build it?

HHI have always been close to nature. I grew up surrounded by valleys in the countryside of Nagano prefecture and my design makes references to these valleys. My work is about moderating nature. The ideal way would be to live completely immerged in it 　 a difficult thing to do in our modern cities. So I want at least to be able to feel the environment, touch the wind, and see the sky. If it gets too cold, I moderate the temperature; build a house, so I won’t freeze. The same goes for any shelter. I imagine living like Robinson Crusoe on the seaside, in the open, fishing in a warm climate. And when it gets too hot or stormy, I just build something that moderates nature for a few hours so I can live comfortably.

RHLiving on the beach was also on your mind after a seminar in Montevideo, Uruguay, in 2002. You mentioned, jokingly, that you would like to build a bungalow on the seaside because you had university funds left when you retired as a professor. The beach bungalow never happened; instead, you created the Experimental House Montevideo for homeless people.