Kengo Kuma: Substance explores the work of the acclaimed Japanese architect through six materials—wood, bamboo, metal, paper, textile, and stone—and presents the ideas behind each work.

Kengo Kuma’s work masterfully engages experimentation, traditional Japanese design, and advanced technology. This results in highly innovative yet beautifully simple, evocative, and human-scaled structures. Kengo Kuma: Substance explores a selection of the architect’s work through six materials. The thirty-five projects from around the world range from captivating wood pavilions, ethereal metal installations, and sculptural woven structures to experiential stone monuments, intricate bamboo tea houses, and luminous shape-shifting domes. Insightful narratives detail the concept and craftmanship of each structure, and beautiful imagery showcases how Kuma’s architectural designs are conceived and constructed. By experimenting with materials and ideas, Kuma seeks to restore the relationship between people, buildings, and nature, and foster a greater sense of humanity in architecture. Kengo Kuma: Substance will be a prized addition for architects, designers, and fans of Kengo Kuma. It is also a valuable resource for those interested in the fusion of traditional and contemporary architecture, design, craftsmanship, and technology.