A life as an architect in Tokyo.
Parentheses| N° d'inventaire | 25170 |
| Format | 14 x 19 |
| Détails | 128 pages, 41 drawings and photographs, publisher's hardcover. |
| Publication | Paris, 2021 |
| Etat | |
| ISBN | 9782863643686 |
"The criterion for architecture after the tsunami is humility."
Kengo Kuma was almost 10 years old when he visited the Yoyogi Gymnasium, shaped like a huge fish and designed by Kenzo Tange, during the 1964 Tokyo Olympics. The building had a profound impact on him, and after this powerful experience, he decided to become an architect.
Passionate about the traditional culture and architecture of his country, where the use and craftsmanship of wood are pushed to a kind of symbolic paroxysm and where natural materials and ancestral gestures are surprisingly blended with uncompromising modernity, Kengo Kuma has carved out his own path. He founded his studio in 1990 and now heads a group of architectural firms based in Japan, China, the United States, and France. His output, impressive in terms of the number of projects, nevertheless remains imbued with the same philosophy: bold inventiveness and frugality of means, a use of traditional materials (wood, bamboo, earth, stone) used in a contemporary manner and, conversely, a vernacular use of innovative materials, a respect for history and sites.
Initially entrusted to Zaha Hadid, who was ultimately dismissed for budgetary reasons, the design of the Olympic stadium for the 2020 (2021) Olympic Games fell squarely to Tokyo native Kengo Kuma.
In thirty years, he has become one of the world's most fascinating and influential architects. But he is perhaps less well known for his work in his native Japan, where he actively works to preserve traditional building techniques and ancient craftsmanship. His keen curiosity about all techniques and a wealth of world knowledge acquired during his travels make Kengo Kuma a unique commentator on the Tokyo megalopolis.
Through twenty-five stories centered around neighborhoods and some of his projects, this intimate work paints a picture of the Tokyo that inspired a young boy's vocation and illustrates how Japan's national heritage helped to lastingly shape his thinking and inspiration. It also offers insight into Japanese culture and the keys to understanding how tradition and modernity intertwine in Japan.
"We must seek to architect nature and not naturalize architecture, as our predecessors attempted."
"The criterion for architecture after the tsunami is humility."
Kengo Kuma was almost 10 years old when he visited the Yoyogi Gymnasium, shaped like a huge fish and designed by Kenzo Tange, during the 1964 Tokyo Olympics. The building had a profound impact on him, and after this powerful experience, he decided to become an architect.
Passionate about the traditional culture and architecture of his country, where the use and craftsmanship of wood are pushed to a kind of symbolic paroxysm and where natural materials and ancestral gestures are surprisingly blended with uncompromising modernity, Kengo Kuma has carved out his own path. He founded his studio in 1990 and now heads a group of architectural firms based in Japan, China, the United States, and France. His output, impressive in terms of the number of projects, nevertheless remains imbued with the same philosophy: bold inventiveness and frugality of means, a use of traditional materials (wood, bamboo, earth, stone) used in a contemporary manner and, conversely, a vernacular use of innovative materials, a respect for history and sites.
Initially entrusted to Zaha Hadid, who was ultimately dismissed for budgetary reasons, the design of the Olympic stadium for the 2020 (2021) Olympic Games fell squarely to Tokyo native Kengo Kuma.
In thirty years, he has become one of the world's most fascinating and influential architects. But he is perhaps less well known for his work in his native Japan, where he actively works to preserve traditional building techniques and ancient craftsmanship. His keen curiosity about all techniques and a wealth of world knowledge acquired during his travels make Kengo Kuma a unique commentator on the Tokyo megalopolis.
Through twenty-five stories centered around neighborhoods and some of his projects, this intimate work paints a picture of the Tokyo that inspired a young boy's vocation and illustrates how Japan's national heritage helped to lastingly shape his thinking and inspiration. It also offers insight into Japanese culture and the keys to understanding how tradition and modernity intertwine in Japan.
"We must seek to architect nature and not naturalize architecture, as our predecessors attempted."