kengo kuma studies in organic - part 1

currently on display at gallery ma, tokyo is the exhibition 'kengo kuma studies in organic'
featuring the many study models and samples of the famous japanese architect's projects.
'kengo kuma studies in organic'

in the 1990s, as postmodernism fell into decline and the bubble burst, kengo kuma was skeptical
about the idea of architecture as an object and made the 'erasing' of buildings his architectural
objective. to achieve that objective, he adopted techniques such as the use of louvers
and the creation of 'apertures'. in the 2000s he began working overseas. he continues to present
many fascinating proposals. having won a succession of major competitions in japan and abroad,
he is one of the best-known architects in the world today.

'a thing that is organic is different from a thing that is simply natural or made of natural
materials. a thing that is organic must possess the generative dynamism characteristic
of living things. we are trying to arrive at things that are organic by making a thorough study
of the amazing process by which certain units (genes) generate a living whole while contending
with (or more correctly, being defeated by) the environment. in each project we discover
a characteristic material and are drawn irresistibly into a journey-like sequence, a process
by which that material, after a hard-fought, tortuous struggle, generates a certain whole.
a certain whole does not necessarily mean a building. it may only be a piece of furniture or some
small object, or surpass architecture in size and become a city. It may hug the ground or rise
like a building. like living things, things that are organic take various forms and survive in
various ways in response to their respective environments.' - kengo kuma

the exhibition will be on view until the 19th december, 2009.

exhibition view
image © designboom

image © designboom
organization
yumachi tourist community center
image © designboom

image © designboom
organization
granada performing arts center
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exhibition view
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cava marhert headquarters
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texture
cava marhert headquarters
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contour
museum at the china academy of art
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contour
besanoon city arts and cultural center
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exhibition view
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granada performing arts centre model

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granada performing arts centre model
image © designboom

detail of the form

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the model is divided into two sections

the theatre
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the model is divided into two sections
image © designboom

kengo kuma discussing his work

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kengo kuma
image © designboom