Kengo Kuma

Kengo Kuma was born in Yokohama, Japan. He is considered one of the most important contemporary Japanese architects. After graduating from the University of Tokyo, he studied for two years as a visiting scholar at Columbia University in New York. In 1987 he founded Spatial Design (now Kengo Kuma & Associates), and in 2008 he opened his first studio in Paris. Over the years, Kuma has pursued a long academic career alongside his practical and theoretical work. Currently a professor at the University of Tokyo, he has also taught at Columbia University, the University of Illinois and Keio University.

His design vision expresses the emotional content of materials, combined with the intrinsic qualities of construction and the teachings of Japanese traditions. Kuma often favors the use of "alternative" materials such as stone, wood, ceramic, bamboo, plastic and vinyl. Fundamental to his work is the use of light, which he uses to achieve a sense of "spatial weightlessness" using natural materials or glass.