TC Cuadernos 165: Kengo Kuma

This double issue of TC Cuadernos explores two decades of Kengo Kuma & Associates’ prolific production, focusing on their urban architecture between 2006 and 2024. Through a careful selection of projects, the monograph offers a comprehensive overview of KKAA’s evolution and its constant interplay between the rural, explored in TC 158, and the urban.

The work is organised around five key strategies: attract, mimetize, hide, occupy and organise. These categories reveal how Kuma approaches urban design in complex contexts. Projects such as the V&A Dundee Museum in Scotland and the 1550 Alberni Street Tower in Vancouver demonstrate his ability to create architectural landmarks without resorting to traditional monumentalism, prioritising materiality and the environment. On the other hand, the Asakusa Tourist Information Centre in Tokyo and the Nezu Museum show how his architecture is subtly integrated into the urban landscape.

Kuma is also known for his ability to conceal or revitalise structures, such as the Z58 Offices and the 1862 Shipyard in Shanghai, where he combines the old and the new in dialogues that enrich the urban fabric. Each project is accompanied by plans and construction details redrawn for the occasion, providing a unique technical insight into the creative process.