Hitoshi Abe (b. 1962) is one of the most important rising figures in contemporary Japanese architecture. After graduating from SCI-Arc in Los Angeles, he worked in the cutting-edge architecture practice Coop Himmelb(l)au before establishing his own studio, Atelier Hitoshi Abe, in Sendai, Japan. He has received international recognition for his bold architecture, and has taught at Tohoku Institute of Technology, University of California Berkeley and University of California Los Angeles. This is the first monograph on Hitoshi Abe to be published in English. Featuring 26 projects that include stadia, museums, bridges and private houses, each building is discussed in detail and accompanied by photographs, computer renderings and concept drawings.

Naomi Pollock has been writing about design in Japan since 1989. Her articles have appeared in numerous publications, including the Chicago Tribune , Dwell , Interior Design , the International Herald Tribune , The New York Times and Architectural Record , for whom she is the Special International Correspondent. She is the author of Phaidons Modern Japanese House .