Authored by Toyo Ito, Kumiko Inui, Sou Fujimoto, Akihisa Hirata, Naoya Hatakeyama, and others, this book gives a comprehensive look at the process of catastrophe and response which followed the Great East Japan Earthquake, as presented in the Japan Pavilion Exhibition at the 13th Biennale of Architecture in Venice.

By posing this question, an assertion that architecture can only recover its essential character under such conditions is made, enabling a re-examination of its essential meaning.

Authored by Toyo Ito, Kumiko Inui, Sou Fujimoto, Akihisa Hirata, Naoya Hatakeyama, and others, this book gives a comprehensive look at the process of catastrophe and response which followed the Great East Japan Earthquake, as presented in the Japan Pavilion Exhibition at the 13th Biennale of Architecture in Venice.

By posing this question, an assertion that architecture can only recover its essential character under such conditions is made, enabling a re-examination of its essential meaning. Through texts, photographs, sketches and models, the book is a both a timeline of events and a reaffirmation of the energy, creativity and dedication of its participants.