#8 May 25, 2018
To my pleasant surprise, the exhibition at Tokyo Station Gallery was widely discussed, resulting in a record-breaking 61,997 visitors since the gallery’s renewal opening with a Chagall exhibition. I realized the strength of messages from “the real things.”
I was particularly flattered by a review written by Professor Hiroshi Hara for Shinkenchiku’s April issue. Professor Hara was my teacher in university and I know that he does not always praise his students, but he commented that my essay “Return to Materials” as well as the tree diagram representing KKAA’s whole creative process would leave a mark in the history of aesthetics. I felt as though my work until now was well rewarded.
In the review Professor Hara also touched upon a trip to the Sahara Desert in West Africa, during which he and his six students, myself included, surveyed various villages and settlements in the region. He speculated that I have carried on this survey and it results in architectural form, and I am certain he is correct. I now understand why I’m so drawn to travelling.
ProjectsThe Forest
We were interested in the way Valextra displays their products individually, bringing attention to each product; as opposed to the usual long shelves with lined up products we find in the usual retail. This brought us to conceive a retail concept where each displayed item would occupy its own space. We had the ambition to have a shop conceived only by the addition of each of the items individual space, and that visitors would roam among them as if walking in a forest. Following this narrative, we formalized these individual spaces for each item as full height raw wooden planks. Essentially these wooden planks are the only elements creating the space. The choice of wood was evident, since our aim was to create an abstract forest-like kind of experience. We chose for natural wooden planks, keeping their bark and original shape. This establishes a very intense and interesting contrast with the sophisticated simplicity of the Valextra designs. The counters in natural stone appear as mineral objects, like treasures discovered among the trees. The textile used for the furniture brings a feminine touch that recalls the intimacy of a secret boudoir. All these materials aim to create a sense of romantic escapism, a fantasy far from the reality of Milan's hectic urban life. The scent of the wood that perfumes the whole space is particularly pleasant and charming when one steps into this space. We can suddenly feel a certain comfort leaving behind the chaos of the hectic city. Read MoreProjectsPark Court Akasaka Hinokicho The Tower
For this project we found a hint for the design in the address of the building, Hinoki-cho, or cypress grove, and thought of designing a building like a tree in the heart of the city. First, we formed a mound reminiscent of the topography which formerly existed between Tokyo Midtown and Nogizaka District. This new slope is the foundation for the tree. For the podium and lobby we positioned multi layered eaves and a pool which gently merge the tower into the ground creating ‘roots’. On the ‘trunk’ we applied an aluminum panel with hinoki bark as a motif, and for the crown we employed green canopy adding a fresh view of the urban skyline. Hinokicho Tower also resonates with Tokyo Midtown’s Garden Terrace, Garden Side and the Suntory Museum all of which we designed with hinoki in mind. Read MoreProjectsYugawara Fukiya Ryokan
This project was a “re-branding” of an old luxury inn, located in Yugawara, one of the most popular hot spring regions in Japan. Fuki, the name of this inn, comes from the plant which is also known as Japanese Butterbur, or sweet-coltsfoot. Our approach was to make use of the plant to develop a more coherent image for the inn. We first focused on the Fuki’s leaf as the prototype, developing it into various patterns – forming a circular trefoil, expressing an arabesque, using it as a motif for the interior, or as a singular graphic. Centering on Fuki, we were able to produce both original products as well as materials for the inn, including a shop curtain with persimmon varnish, dying of Yukata, and a piece of Wilton-woven rug. For its size and slender stem, Fuki has a great deal of iterative potential and matches well with our design process. Read MoreProjectsMaritime History Museum
Kengo Kuma & Associates won the 1st prize for the international competition to design the Maritime History Museum of Saint-Malo in collaboration with Egis Grand Ouest (engineering), Lucigny Talhouet & Associés (quantity surveyor), Theatre projects (acoustics & scénography) and Volga Urbanisme & Paysage (landscape). Saint-Malo is one of the most emblematic cities in France, located in the north-east of Brittany, on the Channel coast. The aim of the future museum is to highlight its maritime prestigious history through all the eras: past, present and future. Urban impact – a core role in the dynamism of the city The project takes place in front of Duguay-Trouin dock and is a unique opportunity to balance with the “Intramuros” historial city fortifications. The new museum stands as a counterpoint, a new place of destination and attraction. It forms a key piece in terms of articulation between the historical city and the new districts. In opposition to the “Intramuros”, anchored on its rocks and surrounded by its ramparts, the museum rises and opens onto its territory. Architecture & Museography – harbour spirit / flexible and evolutive platforms Its architectural form responds to the harbor typologies and to both naval and industrial architecture facing it. The compact and vertical shape, echoing the existing silos, is a new benchmark which allows to create large urban spaces necessary for the cultural program to breathe and offers a suspended unique museum experience. From the initial request to create a belvedere above the museum, we chose to create a "belvedere museum" offering a panoramic view directly from the exhibition spaces. Our design proposal strives to offer soft, efficient and evolutionary surfaces that can evolve over the time to absorb new collections as well as new museum practices. On the sea side, the wind sweeps and carves the volumes resulting … Read MoreNewskkaa + kuma lab win the competition for a new Sydney Towerhttps://www.propertyobserver.com.au https://theurbandeveloper.com https://greenmagazine.com.au https://bookmarc.io https://architectureau.com Read More