Kengo Kuma, “From Concrete to Wood: Why Wood Matters”

The Tohoku earthquake and tsunami shattered coastal cities in Japan in 2011. Kengo Kuma, taking as a point of departure his experiences in the aftermath of that natural disaster, will examine humans’ relationship with nature, questioning the perceived strength of steel and concrete and proposing the reintroduction of wood in design as a fair and practical mediator between humans and nature.
Born in Tokyo, Kuma completed his master’s degree at the University of Tokyo in 1979 and spent time as a visiting scholar at Columbia University before establishing Kengo Kuma & Associates in 1990. Among his many works, recent projects include the Yusuhara Wooden Bridge Museum (2010), which won the 2011 The Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology’s Art Encouragement Prize; the Asakusa Culture and Tourism Center (2012), Nagaoka City Hall Aore (2012), and Ginza Kabukiza (2013). Two of his buildings outside Japan are the Besancon Arts and Culture Center and FRAC Marseilles and Aix-en-Provence Conservatory of Music (both 2013). The firm currently has some one hundred projects ongoing in Europe, the U.S., Japan, China, and elsewhere in Asia. One of the most high-profile of these is the new national stadium for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.
Since 2009, Kuma has been a professor at the Graduate School of Architecture, University of Tokyo. He has also written more than a dozen books-including Anti-Object (2013)-which have been published not only in Japanese but frequently in English, Chinese, and Korean, earning him a readership in many parts of the world. Kuma is an International Fellow of the Royal Institute of British Architects, an honorary fellow of the American Institute of Architects, and, as of 2009, an Officier de L’Ordre des Arts et des Lettres in France.

[@zeamitakemitsu7592]

The [japanese] not translated in the early captions is 木漏れ日, literally "tree-trickling light". That's an important aesthetic principle in Japan: the light makes its way through the leaves like water through stones. The light is not the pattern on the ground. I think Kuma just stepped off a 14 hour flight, please do not get the wrong impression from his English. English is impossibly different from Japanese.

[@zeamitakemitsu7592]

"Engawa 縁側" can be translated to any type of semi-covered space, like a porch, verandah, or balcony. There is no umbrella term in English for all of them.

[@zeamitakemitsu7592]

Kisho Kurokawa, Arata Isozaki, and Kenzo Tange are among the Japanese architects preceding him that Kuma has mentioned.

[@zeamitakemitsu7592]

It would be easier for non-Japanese to understand Kuma's architecture if they knew about the development of Shinto shrines from specific sacred trees, through sacred groves and forests, to the development of sacred buildings that are interpermeable with the forests.

[@SAISAI-kv7ds]

Thank you so much for sharing!!!!!!

[@najialhasani1193]

Thank you for bringing to us the acumen of les 'chefs d'oeuvres' des architectes mondiale. When I feel down, I have something uplifting to turn to.

[@chanchoyling4919]

Enjoyed his sharing of respect for nature and his innovative solutions from his observations and reflections

[@alessandromolinari4946]

Pp

[@alessandromolinari4946]

Pp

[@alessandromolinari4946]

Pppppp

[@MitzvosGolem1]

תודה רבה שלום

[@priscillalove7008]

I would be interested to know how heat effective these specia building designs are... I find it all so beautiful but i am curious to know how hw solves the physics questions especially heat los during the winter

[@MARKMURA1]

architecture as symbolic belief

[@cdmontano]

1:11:20 It is a Bathtub, bedroom and kitchen

[@danutzberende]

Guys, what Kuma tried to say about the Paris terror attacks was that the perpetrators of the attack were from that area, which is classed as a dangerous area, I don't think he wanted to say that all of the people living in that area were terrorists. You have to consider the language barrier he is coping with in this lecture, at times he doesn't even make sense...

[@tranzco1173]

No he meant it. Japanese are racist.

[@Jane306]

the 3rd question is brave. wow

[@TheLalawitch]

Around 1h of speech, he said they tried to make Saint Denis safe "bc of the terrorists living in that area", "many immigrants and Syrian immigrant", I was really enjoying his talk, but to listen to this made me really sad. I worked with children from that area, I went there many days...People are not terrorists :(

[@user-ve5qx9xi3j]

Incredible architect, beautiful buildings. Why is he flipping through the slides so fast? You have to stop the video to see these beautiful buildings.

[@user-kg8vo6hb9v]

He is not an Incredible Architect. His architecture is all about looks and no thought of practicality

[@cdmontano]

1:33:40 Ando San. (Tadao Ando)

[@Desuetus]

46:03 to turn a relaxing material into a threatening one, that's vision.

[@sathwikps6701]

Wood is sustainable but how many woods will you require to make the complete structure ? Isn’t that again cutting down of many trees. I am not aware how they manage this in Japan? Can someone give some input!

[@cdmontano]

8:05 Ando San (Tadao Ando) Ito San ( Toyo Ito)

[@AriesJade_]

Yes po po ppost P lol look

[@AriesJade_]

Kl oo l

[@AriesJade_]

Yes I look

[@AriesJade_]

O l Opo klkok

[@faisalisfan]

7:54 arata isozaki, kisho kurokawa

[@zbigniewbecker5080]

19:25 Ukio-e (Fleeting world)

[@cdmontano]

58:40 Louvers (celosías)

[@sakibulislam1841]

Who are dizain world high building architect? Or cevil enginear

[@danglybit1]

Umbrella house great

[@triedzidono]

7:08

[@davidyan7354]

I wonder if youtube has a Z filter.

[@cdmontano]

1:18:07 Polyethylene fabric

[@orange_in_toronto7713]

harvard graduate school of design at forever

[@ayseesindurmaz2507]

is a, as a. My brain got burned.

[@azurbleu4335]

The Guardian : Tokyo Olympic stadium . After Hadid’s heady vision, the two new designs might seem a bit bargain-basement. One looks like an undercooked fried egg - a wobbly white roof with a gelatinous, albumeny middle. The other ( Kengo Kuma ) looks like a pile of salad plates cleared away before anyone had finished, with bits of lettuce poking out from between the stack of saucers.

[@patrickryan353]

I live near this building ...... Actually way more ambitious than it comes across in design scale ; A LOT of WOOD ..... sadly it lies unused and stands like a ghostly structure due to the postponement of the Olympics ... looking forward to see it come to life !!

[@evapark1435]

Wood is very warm n beautiful.But there will be many termites later n ants.

[@macym57]

There's a 17th century Japanese technique of preserving wood for building houses known as Yakisugi. Most buildings in Japan that were made of these have lasted over a century.

[@ahmadferoz1401]

His comment on Syrian refugee is very sad and disappointing, saying they are all terrorist, did I understand correctly what he was trying to say???

[@arlongomezrodriguez1768]

Tienes mucha razón

[@daikiendo3155]

Not at all

[@jonathantowes2787]

11:40

[@orange_in_toronto7713]

i wish to achieve in Harvard Graduate School Of Design Faculty Architecture of class 2023

[@canweng5546]

9

[@cdmontano]

1:39:00 Bullshit until the end.

[@meItedgold]

1:00:05 the casual islamo/xenophobia... I wonder if that turned anyone's head.... I hope Kuma has learned since 2016

[@esincupcake]

Sadly the world didn't change and the West still spreads racist ,ideologies'. It is weird that it seems to be the most accepted in academical life, right.

[@user-sn2if1ph6s]

He is a generic architect. It's like a block of wood flopped on top of each other, and it's as cheap as a ready-made product. The original characteristics of wood construction are lost, and the wood is treated as a texture, making it obsolete. It is hard to believe that in 10 to 20 years, Kengo Kuma's architecture will be respectable. It's good that the superficiality and economy of commercial facilities and Kengo Kuma's architecture are linked and welcomed by society, but if they are misconstrued as a symbol of Japanese architects, it will cast a big shadow on young architects in the future. We should not only pursue superficiality.

[@jonathantowes2787]

Can you refer some works which include the original characteristics of wood construction. I’ve just recently gained interest in the topic, and would appreciate some guidance. Thanks!

[@madewithloveduh]

I definitely echo the bottom request! curious about any architects or landscape architects (or urban designers etc) who are showing the wood work youre looking for

[@Eli6asf]

I find this so boring and how he explains it! Was a struggle to watch but I propose myself to watch from the 19min-29min straight up and it makes even my back hurts!

[@John-sl5wo]

hard to watch after the comments about syrian immigrants. what a shame

[@ahmadferoz1401]

I agree, its outrageous can't believe thats what he thinks

[@dtarch]

at 1:00:05: 'But it's not a safe area. Many immigrants from Syria and some of those places that are living here. and you remember the terror attack in Paris happened last year and most of the terrorists were living in that area!'' Wouw! Look at these offensive statements! So we unfortunately found out that Kengo Kuma is also a racist as well as being a great architect! Sad!

[@dtarch]

@Santiago Muros Cortés Those who blame others without knowing them are prejudiced (trying to put it in the nicest way). And you are confusing the saying with homophobism! Those who accuse others with racism are simply those who are sensitive about the isssue and who get offended by that! The language people use denounces their real tendencies. Read some history or watch some news. You might learn something! Salute!

[@dtarch]

​@Santiago Muros Cortés No, you are actually not getting it right. I am not morally comparing myself to Kengo. I also do not confuse the simple fact that being a superiour architect doesn't necessarily make you wander around with a halo above your head.

[@dtarch]

@Santiago Muros Cortés Who are you to judge me as being judgemental and narcissistic! I got shocked and offended by a rather racist statement of an architect I admired and you (whoever you are being his advocate) try to put me in that position! I am almost going to start having fun with this oximoron! (I am not saying moron, I'm afraid you might get it wrong as well) But there is definitely no intelligence in this arguement to gain me anything. So I'm taking off!

[@dtarch]

@Santiago Muros Cortés I watched the video and made a comment about his statement using my freedom of speech (not judging) You however don't know me a bit and insult me! That's it! As I said this is not an intellectual arguement and I do not wish to waste my time with someone who cannot see this simplest difference.

[@dtarch]

​@Santiago Muros Cortés worst kind of demagogy. just taking everything I said and reflecting back. you are simply boring. bye!