Abstract

Kuma is widely admired and has been active in his field for over 35 years. His name became even more familiar to the public after he designed the new Japan National Stadium, which is the main venue for Tokyo 2020 Olympic and Paralympic Games. From among some 1,000 previous projects of this architect who is representative of our time, the book showcases 50 of his key accomplishments in Japan.

The book’s distinguishing feature is that it presents the evolution of Kuma’s architecture in the form of a picture directory full of illustrations, highlighting the intriguing characteristics of each work with keywords. Kengo Kuma himself also evaluated the book in an interview, noting that it offers a new twist by giving a bird’s-eye view of his works and explaining them from multiple angles.

The buildings featured in the book are presented with professional guidance on design and technical aspects, making it a valuable read even for experts. A long interview with Kengo Kuma can be found at the start and end of the book, and the text can be enjoyed both as a travel guidebook and a practical resource on architecture.

Author’s Information

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