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.