KENGO KUMA

We met in a rainy afternoon in Paris, in a Japanese teashop that had the kind of atmosphere that met his personality. Humble, discreet and quiet, he is pretty far away from. what you’d expect a starchitect to be. In the best way.

Magali Alcaide: Japan is a country that has a great respect for nature. How do you feel japanese are living the after Fukushima?

Kengo Kuma: Japan used to be a country with respect to the nature, it used to have that kind of mentality but in the XXth century peaople have forgotten that kind of respect. Because of that change of mentality now everything is depending on Tokyo's economy.

I feel the earthquake and tsunami are a punishment to that mentality. We should consider that this brings us a big challenge: to rethink our culture, rethink our economy.

So in a way it is a positive thing as it can bring a big change of mentality..

Yes, in the Tokyo area you can still find the craftsmanship. I try to collaborate with those artisans, and am already developing a project including their work. I am giving a new design to them, and it is more than that, it is a suggestion of a new lifestyle.

What's your favorite art piece?

A box designed by Bruno Taut. He is a german architect who came to Japan in 1933 and who stayed for three years. My father bought this box designed by him in Ghinza in 1936, and it was my father's treasure. My father was always talking about that treasure by Bruno Taut. When I started the university I studied Bruno Taut. He really respected japanese culture and he wanted to make something new with the japanese tradition. The box is a result of his practice in Japan. I have it in front of my working table and I'm always looking at his work looking for some inspiration.

And what would be your most valuable immaterial belonging?

A memory of the house where I was born. It was built in the 1930s, it is a typical wooden house with the tatami, the light paper screens that was very different from my friends' contemporary houses. The memory of that space provides me many hints in my practice.

How is your house today? Do you live in a house like that or a contemporary one?

The house I live in Tokyo is very contemporary and different from y childhood house, but it has details that remind me of it.

What’s your favorite movie?

Tokyo Monogatari, by japanese director Ozu. He shooted the traditional house, very similar to my childhood house, and the position of the camera is very low. To see the space from a lower position is very important. Most directors see the space from the point of God, they look down to the space and this causes a misunderstanding of the space. I always try to experience the space from a lower position, and this was inspired to me by this movie.

Do you have a favorite travel destination?

That's a difficult question because anywhere I go I can find something. Basically I like the countryside. Last year I visited Bhutan, and its atmosphere is very similar to Nagano prefecture's in Japan. I felt a sympathy for the place, the people are wearing the same kind of kimono and It looks like a very futuristic place because the country of Bhutan is trying to establish a new lifestyle that is the one I see for the future of Japan.

One word about you, just one word.

Traveller.