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/// DESIGN STORIES / Interview with Kengo Kuma                                                                                                                                                         Interview with Kengo Kuma / DESIGN STORIES ///




                                                         KENGO KUMA
                                                                  Cocoon-structing

                                                                      with       NATURE










                                                                  TRADITIONAL  MATERIALS,  COHABITATION  WITH  THE                                                              Nakabashi, Japon
                                                                  ENVIRONMENT,  DECIDEDLY  MODERN  LINES.  SINCE  HIS
                                                                  DEBUT,  THE  MULTIPLE  AWARD  WINNER,  ARCHITECT  OF
              These days, the boundary between artist             THE  JAPANESE  NATIONAL  STADIUM  IN  TOKYO  FOR  THE
              and architect is becoming blurred.                  2020 OLYMPICS, THE AIX-EN-PROVENCE CONSERVATORY
                                                                  AND  THE  HARUKI  MURAKAMI  LIBRARY  IN  TOKYO,  HAS
                                                                  BASED HIS PRACTICES ON NOBLE PRINCIPLES.









                                                                                                                                     Albert Kahn Museum, France                 V&A at Dundee, Scotland
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                                                                                                                                     Your career as  an  architect  has  been  long-lasting.  With  the  What are you working on today?
                                                                                                                                     benefit of hindsight, how do you view your early works?
                                                                                                                                                                                            K.  K.:  I  have  numerous  ongoing  projects,  but  I  cannot  go  into
                                                                                                                                     Kengo Kuma: I started my career in Japan, during the so-called   detail. The most important thing for me at the moment, though,
                                                                                                                                     "economic bubble". A couple of my early projects caused a stir   is to decentralize my Tokyo o ce. I'm sending my team all over
                                                                                                                                     and drew attention; and they helped me surprise my predecessors.   Japan to set up branches. I'd like each offshoot to take root in its
                                                                                                                                     In a way, they allowed me to become an accomplished architect   region and forge close local relations. I think that's the best way
                                                                                                                                     quite early on.                                        to survive in the post-Covid world.
                                                                                                                                     Your  career  has  been  dotted  with  prizes  and  awards.  Was  KKAA  was  the architect  for the Albert  Kahn  Museum  which
                                                                                                                                     recognition from your peers and the public a goal in your career?  recently  reopened  in  the Paris  suburbs.  How  does  your work
                                                                                                                                                                                            respond to the dreams of this special man who wanted to archive
                                                                                                                                     K.  K.:  Until  recently  in  Japan,  architecture  was  a  discreet
                                                                                                                                                                                            the beautiful things of this world?
                                                                                                                                     profession  and  architects'  names  were  never  mentioned  in  the
                                                                                                                                     media. Unlike in Europe, where architects have a public face, it   K.  K.:  One  of the  most  beautiful  things  that  Albert  Kahn  left
                                                         Albert Kahn Museum, France
                                                                                                                                     was not a socially recognized or appreciated profession in Japan.   us  is  his  collection  of gardens.  Not  just  Japanese  gardens,  but
                                                                                                    Wooden Haze, Singapore
                                                                                                                                     With that in mind, winning awards and being placed in the media   those  representing  other  countries,  too.  He  was  very aware  of
                                                                                                                                     spotlight drew the Japanese public's attention to architects as a   the  cultural specificities  of each and spent  a great  deal  of time
                                                                                                                                     whole.                                                 and effort to bring them to life authentically in the grounds of his
                                                                                                                                                                                            museum. I really identify with this approach in that I truly believe
                                                                                                                                     Do you consider yourself an artist ?
        Kengo  Kuma  is  one  of  the  best-known  Japanese
                                                                                                                                                                                            that  a  garden,  or  a  landscape,  has  much  deeper  meaning  than
        architects of the modern era. For almost fifty years,
                                                                                                                                     K.  K.: These  days,  the  boundaries between  artist  and architect   architecture. I hope that my contribution to the reopening of the
        his vast projects have spread across the globe. And
                                                                                                                                     are blurred. Some artists are now presenting works on a similar   Albert Kahn Museum reflects the deep respect that I have for the
        France  is  one  of  his  favorite  stomping  grounds.
                                                                                                                                     level as architecture. And architects, like me, are trying to design   man himself.
        Named among the top 100 most influential people
                                                                                                                                     buildings which express a philosophy or which suggest a new way
        of  2021  by  the  prestigious  Time  magazine,  he
                                                                                                                                     of living to the public. So, I'm a bit of both.
        maintains  a  unique,  humble  and  constant  view  of
        his profession and his career.
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