Kengo Kuma, a globally celebrated Japanese architect, is renowned for his innovative approach to blending traditional craftsmanship with contemporary design. Born in Yokohama, Japan, Kuma has consistently sought to redefine the relationship between architecture and nature, creating structures that harmonize with their surroundings while pushing the boundaries of materiality and spatial experience. He is the founder of Kengo Kuma and Associates, a practice that has gained international acclaim for projects that champion sustainability, cultural sensitivity, and the art of weaving tactile materials into architectural forms.
Among his notable works are the Asakusa Culture and Tourism Center, the Nagasaki Prefectural Art Museum, and the Japan National Stadium. Kuma’s philosophy centers on the idea of “disappearing architecture,” where buildings dissolve into their environment, embodying a poetic interplay of light, shadow, and texture. His recent projects, such as the transformative intervention at Casa Batlló in Barcelona and the Shiwa Shiwa Scenography for Giuseppe Verdi’s “Simon Boccanegra” at Teatro di San Carlo in Naples, exemplify this ethos. Both works explore material innovation, drawing parallels in their reimagining of traditional craftsmanship for contemporary applications.
In this exclusive interview, Weaving Architecture’s Future, featured in Architecture Lab Magazine’s 006 Fabric edition, Kuma reflects on his enduring vision, the intersections of tradition and innovation, and the role of architecture in shaping a more sustainable future. The magazine’s cover showcases an image from the Casa Batlló project, highlighting its fusion of heritage and modernity.
What inspires you?
My inspiration is always coming from my trip in the desert. I traveled to the Sahara Desert as a student, at the beginning of my career. I was inspired by life in the desert area. It is different from the nature of Japan, it is different from the nature of Europe, and wilderness is always a source of inspiration for me.
What led you to become an architect?
When I was 10, in 1964, my father brought me to the Olympic Stadium designed by Kenzo Tange. It was a really important moment for me, and I was shocked to see a Kenzo Tange building. In Japan, at that time, Tokyo was still a city of 1-2 story buildings, and Kenzo Tange showed me verticality as a direction. On that day, I strongly decided to become an architect and I did not forget that day.
After that, I’ve looked for a different direction. Kenzo Tange is a master of concrete, a master of verticality, but I began to think that the concrete building was not fitting for our period and I tried and tried to find a different direction.
How would you now describe your design philosophy?
Now I am looking for softer materials. As a beginner in my career, I thought that concrete was too heavy and too hard, and I was looking for a softer material than concrete and wood seemed like the best solution. Recently, I have tried to find even softer materials than wood, such as fabric, strings, leather, and soft materials that can create a new type of embodiment, I began to think, and that is the new direction in the last 10 years.
In my mind, the basic idea is that Fashion and Architecture should go together. Architecture is getting softer and softer, closer to fabric and textiles.
Some houses that I saw in the desert are made of weaves and fabric, and very soft houses in the desert, in the rainforest; those houses gave me a hint about the future of architecture. At that time, it was just a dream, but recently I began to think it’s not a dream, it’s a reality of the future.
Do you have a favorite project?
It is difficult to choose a favorite project, but the turning point of my career was The Bamboo House in China, it was my first project in China, and it was a big challenge at that time. Most of the Chinese didn’t understand our direction but I found a client that totally understood my direction. After that project, I began to think that we can see all projects as a major challenge everywhere in the world. Even if in China we just achieved a great result with that kind of experiment, we don’t need to affiliate with any type of client, it’s a big lesson from my house in China.
What advice would you give to young architects?
Now, design is facing a drastic change, after COVID, and after the war, a new era came to us.
Design should lead that kind of era, and design should show a new lifestyle, after covid and war.
As a designer, you have a big chance to change the era of design.
The designer is the front runner of that trend.
You can do everything, don’t be afraid.
This is my advice for you all.
