{"title":"Kengo Kuma","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eKengo Kuma\u003c\/strong\u003e offers a thought-provoking exploration of contemporary architecture through a personal and artistic lens. His works delve into the relationship between structure, nature, and culture, inviting readers to reflect on the subtle beauty of design and the philosophy behind building spaces.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eFrom insightful essays to richly illustrated studies, Kuma's books blend technical understanding with poetic reflection, making them essential reading for anyone interested in \u003cem\u003earts \u0026amp; culture\u003c\/em\u003e, architecture, and the creative process that shapes our environments.\u003c\/p\u003e","products":[{"product_id":"point-line-plane-by-kengo-kuma-9780500027967","title":"Point Line Plane","description":"\u003cdiv class=\"book-description\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eA collection of writings that sets out Kengo Kuma's theories of architecture, but also a left field critique of where the architecture world finds itself today.\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eKengo Kuma is one of Japan's leading architects and Professor Emeritus at the University of Tokyo. Widely known as a prolific writer and philosopher, he proposes architecture that opens up new relationships between nature, technology, and human beings.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThrough a series of thought-provoking essays, he unveils his vision of architecture as a dynamic interplay between tradition and innovation. Critiquing the megastructures and capitalist influences of the 20th century, he challenges readers to reconsider the role of architecture in shaping our world.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eDrawing from diverse disciplines including art history, philosophy, and literature, Kuma crafts a narrative that transcends the boundaries of traditional architectural theory. He presents a compelling manifesto for a new era of design—one that dismantles hard concrete volumes into \u003ci\u003epoints\u003c\/i\u003e, \u003ci\u003elines\u003c\/i\u003e, and \u003ci\u003eplanes\u003c\/i\u003e that celebrate the simplicity and sustainability of human connection.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Thames and Hudson (Australia) Pty Ltd","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47362952069356,"sku":"9780500027967","price":60.99,"currency_code":"NZD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0705\/7784\/8556\/files\/100533482366.jpg?v=1772906204"},{"product_id":"kengo-kuma-my-life-as-an-architect-in-tokyo-by-kengo-kuma-9780500343616","title":"Kengo Kuma: My Life as an Architect in Tokyo","description":"\u003cdiv class=\"book-description\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIt was around Kengo Kuma's tenth birthday that he came into contact with Kenzō Tange's fishlike Yoyogi National Gymnasium, completed for the 1964 Tokyo Olympics, and determined that he would become an architect. In the intervening five or so decades, he has become one of the world's most fascinating and influential architects.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eKuma is known throughout the world for his formally daring and materially expressive buildings, recognised for his inventive use of traditional materials, and his use of innovative materials in vernacular forms. He is perhaps less known for his work inside his native Japan, where he works actively towards the preservation of ancient building techniques and craft. A keen curiosity for all forms of building and a wealth of knowledge about the world acquired through expansive travels make Kuma a unique commentator on Tokyo's dynamic architecture.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThrough twenty-five stories, this intimate little publication paints a picture of how a building inspired a boy to become an architect, how Japan's national heritage helped form his thinking, and how his professional experience has made him one of the most successful architects of his generation. \u003cem\u003eKengo Kuma: My Life as an Architect in Tokyo\u003c\/em\u003e contains something for everyone: design acumen, insights into Japanese culture, a tour of Tokyo and the heartfelt commitment to producing buildings that have meaning and longevity.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eWith 41 illustrations, 21 in colour\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Thames and Hudson (Australia) Pty Ltd","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47424459112684,"sku":"9780500343616","price":43.99,"currency_code":"NZD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0705\/7784\/8556\/files\/9780500343616.jpg?v=1774768436"},{"product_id":"architecture-of-defeat-by-kengo-kuma-9781138390836","title":"Architecture of Defeat","description":"\u003cdiv class=\"book-description\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eKengo Kuma, one of Japan’s leading architects, has been combining professional practice and academia for most of his career. In addition to creating many internationally recognised buildings all over the world, he has written extensively about the history and theory of architecture. Like his built work, his writings also reflect his profound personal philosophy.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003ci\u003eArchitecture of Defeat\u003c\/i\u003e is no exception. Now available in English for the first time, the book explores events and architectural trends in the twentieth and twenty-first centuries in both Japan and beyond. It brings together a collection of essays which Kuma wrote after disasters such as the destruction of the World Trade Center in New York City on 9\/11 and the earthquake and tsunami that obliterated much of the built landscape on Japan’s northern shore in a matter of minutes in 2011. Asking if we have been building in a manner that is too self-confident or arrogant, he examines architecture’s intrinsic—and often problematic—relationship to the powerful forces of contemporary politics, economics, consumerism, and technology, as well as its vital ties to society.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eDespite the title, \u003ci\u003eArchitecture of Defeat\u003c\/i\u003e is an optimistic and hopeful book. Rather than anticipating the demise of architecture, Kuma envisages a different mode of conceiving architecture: guided and shaped by more modesty and with greater respect for the forces of our natural world.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eBeautifully designed and illustrated, this is a fascinating insight into the thinking of one of the world’s most influential architects.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Taylor \u0026 Francis","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47605031698668,"sku":"9781138390836","price":341.0,"currency_code":"NZD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0705\/7784\/8556\/files\/9781138390836-architecture-of-defeat.jpg?v=1778121086"}],"url":"https:\/\/bookhero.co.nz\/collections\/kengo-kuma.oembed","provider":"Book Hero","version":"1.0","type":"link"}