Kengo Kuma

Born in 1954, Kengo Kuma has graduated from the school of architecture, University of Tokyo. In 1990, he established Kengo Kuma Building City Design Office. Currently, he works as a Professor in the University of Tokyo. He was shocked by Kenzo Tange’s Yoyogi indoor stadium which he saw at the Tokyo Olympic Games in 1964, and aim for architects from early childhood.

In the university, he studied under Hara Koji and Uchida Shoya, and crossed the Sahara desert in Africa during the graduate school, investigate the village, aiming at the beauty and power of the village. After visiting the Columbia University as a visiting researcher, in 1990, Kengo Kumakura established an architectural city design office.

He has designed architecture in more than 20 countries and has received various awards both at home and abroad (Japan Architectural Institute Award, International Tree Architecture Award from Finland, International Stone Architecture Award from Italy, etc.). His designs proposes a gentle, soft design of human scale aiming at architecture that blends into the environment and culture of the land. Also, through the quest for new materials to replace concrete and iron, he is pursuing the way of architecture after the industrialized society.

Photography by: Dezeen , Toki.tokyo & Cladglobal

Article by: Kengo Kuma