Kengo Kuma

Founder
Kengo Kuma & Associates

Keynote Presentation | April 1, 2026

Kengo Kuma is a visionary architect whose work is guided by a quiet respect for nature, culture, and human experience. Founder of Kengo Kuma & Associates, his projects range from Japan’s National Stadium in Tokyo to small cultural spaces and tea houses — each shaped by a sensitivity to place and a desire to connect people with their surroundings.

Kuma often describes his approach as creating “buildings that breathe.” Light, wood, stone, and water are not merely materials in his designs, but elements that tell stories and bring harmony between the built and natural environments. His use of mass timber and other natural materials reflects a belief that traditional craft and modern innovation can come together to create architecture that feels lighter, warmer, and more sustainable.

From museums to multi-story urban projects, Kuma’s designs explore how wood can serve as both structure and expression, offering a way to bring nature back into even the most urban settings.

Alongside his architectural practice, Kuma shares his ideas through writing and teaching as a professor at the University of Tokyo, helping inspire the next generation of designers. His work continues to encourage communities and professionals worldwide to see architecture as a humble, human-centered practice rooted in ecology and care.

More About Kengo

Kengo is currently a University Professor and Professor Emeritus at the University of Tokyo and a member of the Japan Art Academy after teaching at Keio University and the University of Tokyo. KKAA projects are currently underway in more than 50 countries. Kengo Kuma proposes architecture that opens up new relationships between nature, technology, and human beings.

His major 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 (Point Line Plane, 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.