Pritzker Award-winning architect Shigeru Ban urges virus-safe shelters

Ban posing for a photo at the shelter he and his team devised at a judo sport hall in Yokohama, Kanagawa prefecture, which hosts people who can’t afford to rent an apartment and used to stay at designated internet cafes, now closed due to Covid-19. Photo: AFP Relaxnews

Japan's Pritzker Award-winning architect Shigeru Ban, famous for designing buildings from paper tubes in disaster areas, says the world needs to think about tackling natural catastrophes in the coronavirus era.

And while he hopes the pandemic will lead to less of a crush on Tokyo's packed commuter trains, he warns against relying on teleworking, stressing that hands-on contact with materials is vital for great architecture.