Kengo Kuma (1954) was born and grew up in the countryside in Kanagawa Prefecture. In 1979 he moved to the city to study at the University of Tokyo. After receiving a fellowship from the Asian Cultural Council, he travelled to Columbia University in 1985 as a visiting scholar. On his return to Tokyo in 1987, he founded the Spatial Design Studio and later, in 1990, opened his own studio, Kengo Kuma & Associates. He is professor and professor emeritus at the University of Tokyo, having taught at Keio University and the University of Tokyo.

Kengo Kuma’s work rescues and reinterprets, in contemporary language, traditional spaces and craft techniques typical of Japanese culture and evidences the strength, respect and admiration for nature, proposing an architecture that opens up new relationships between nature, technology and people.

“Space is the result of nature and time. I think my architecture is a kind of frame for nature, to enjoy it intimately and deeply. Also, transparency is considered a characteristic of Japanese architecture, so I try to use light and natural materials to achieve a new kind of transparency“.

His main publications include Kengo Kuma Onomatopoeia Architecture Grounding (X-Knowledge), Nihon no Kenchiku (Architecture of Japan, Iwanami Shoten), Zen Shigoto (Kengo Kuma – the complete works, Daiwa Shobo), Ten Sen Men (Plane of Dotted Lines, Iwanami Shoten), Makeru Kenchiku (Architecture of Defeat, Iwanami Shoten), Shizen na Kenchiku (Natural Architecture, Iwanami Shinsho), Chii-sana Kenchiku (Small Architecture, Iwanami Shinsho) and many others.

He is considered one of the most important architects in the world.