Kengo Kuma
Symbiosis with nature

Since graduating from the University of Tokyo in 1979, Kengo Kuma (born in 1954) has completed around fifty architectural projects in Japan , earning his place as one of the most important architects of his day. His work, though inspired by traditional Japanese architecture is nevertheless well anchored in the 21st century. An advocate of Ť anti object architecture ť, Kengo Kuma loves to play with shadow and light, the physical relationship to materials and construction techniques that respect and preserve the original landscape. Deleting the architecture is a recurrent theme in his work, along with the permanent invention of new processes. His constructions do not impose themselves on the environment, but "disappear" in the landscape, as demonstrated by the Kiro-San observatory, that was built practically inside the mountain. The building becomes invisible, as if the architecture wanted to run into the landscape. Two factors play a particularly important role: water (his house of glass seems to float on the ocean) and light (screens create a transparent architecture).

The architect has a propensity for vernacular materials, but gives them a new dimension by means of innovative constructive structures and by updating several traditional techniques. In a constant quest to bring out the expressive possibilities of the material, at times he goes back to the essence of rough stone, which he Ť dematerialises ť into strata, and at other times turns to timber or bamboo (one of his favourite materials) and even rammed clay, which he exploits for its technical qualities : regulation of humidity and natural ventilation. The material is always a principle of construction that in turn gives rise to the architectural aesthetic, symbolism and new identity. You could say that the work of Kengo Kuma achieves a perfect synthesis between the east and west, tradition and creativity, nature and architecture.