In the mid 1980s, Ito begins to work on a design method that combines physical reality with virtual reality, such as the Tower of Winds in Yokohama (1986) with a lighted sheath that can change color based on the weather.
His Sendai Mediatheque (2001) is one of the most influential buildings on architecture in the 21st century. He teaches at the Japan Women’s University, is professor emeritus at the Northern University of London, and visiting professor at Columbia.
In 2002, he was awarded the Golden Lion at the Venice Biennial.