Six projects that showcase Kengo Kuma's "humane and beautiful" use of materials

Japanese architect Kengo Kuma is best known as a pioneer of wooden architecture, but his latest book, Substance, showcases his expertise in a broad range of materials. In this roundup, he picks six projects made from everything from paper to bamboo.

Published with The Images Publishing Group, Substance explores Kuma's eclectic portfolio through the lens of six materials – metal, paper, textile, bamboo, stone and wood.

According to the architect, the book encapsulates Kengo Kuma and Associates' enduring efforts to create buildings with materials that best respond to local context and "establish a close relationship with people".

He said it is an important time to document and showcase this approach, as he anticipates an impending shift in architecture away from large-scale megaprojects in concrete and steel and toward smaller, more environmentally sensitive projects that prioritise regional resources.

"Amidst pandemics and never-ending wars, I believe that architecture in this century is at a significant turning point," Kuma told Dezeen.

"I see it as an era shifting from large architecture to small. We should reflect on how the high-rise, massive buildings of the 20th century have damaged the environment and impoverished the world in many respects," he reflected.

"What Kengo Kuma and Associates aim for is 'small' architecture, which is humane, beautiful and can establish a close relationship with people. I wanted to present our efforts on this in this book."

According to Kuma, the projects and materials showcased in Substance demonstrate the studio's efforts to design in a way that is specific to a given site and its context.

He said this is because "architecture is similar to agriculture" and that using "materials that are native to and cultivated in each specific region" should be prioritised.

"Instead of concrete or steel, we always try to find and use materials unique to the location of each project, in order to express the richness of resources of each site," said Kuma.

"Using a single or the same material as if it is a signature means that the designers want to make themselves the protagonist of the projects," he continued.

"They want to create brands of their own by doing so. We take an approach where the location itself comes at the centre, and we begin designing by identifying the materials that best suit the projects."

Read on for six projects that showcase Kuma's "humane and beautiful" use of materials:

Casa Umbrella, Italy, 2008 
Material: textile

"The idea of this project is that we can instantly make a fabric shelter by connecting 15 umbrellas with zippers.

"A portable refuge must be light and soft enough, and fabric possesses this quality."

Irori, Italy, 2015
Material: paper

"Following the spirit of the tearoom, which was created as a critique of massive and heavy architecture, we built the lightest possible architecture using thin paper alone."

Cave of Light and Shadow, China, 2023
Material: stone and metal

"I thought the most suitable monument for the front yard of China's Suzhou Museum would be a Dahushi stone lying at the bottom of a Suzhou lake.

"We translated the stone's geometry and texture into the aluminium cast panels, in an attempt to make them transparent and lightweight."

Sensing Spaces, UK, 2014
Material: bamboo

"Upon the invitation from the Royal Academy in London, we created a small space with bamboo.

"The amazing thing is that bamboo does not break apart even if they are cut thinly to this level. We were therefore able to achieve the truly transparent structure."

Casa Batlló Stairs, Spain, 2020
Material: metal

"We redesigned the emergency stairs at Casa Batlló, a house designed by Antoni Gaudí, by applying aluminium ball chains.

"When they are broken down into small particles, even metals can achieve organic softness that Gaudí was aiming for."

Domino 3.0, Italy, 2025
Material: wood

"The idea came up from my shocking experience when I saw the trees battered by the storm that struck northern Italy in 2018.

"They had been left untouched since then and I thought of using those trees in the project as the symbol of the houses in the future, hoping that an era will come when humans go back to life in the woods."

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