On Wednesday morning Kengo Kuma, one of Japan’s most respected and innovative architects, gave a (21) video lecture at the UIA2021RIO (27th World Congress of Architects), in which he spoke about aspects related to sustainability and what to expect from buildings and from Covid-19 post-architecture. the pandemic.
Prior to that, however, the award-winning and doctoral professional in architecture, a professor at the University of Tokyo and already a visiting professor at Columbia and Illinois universities in the United States, made a point of highlighting the fact that Brazil “has produced many wonderful architects.” And it celebrated the work of one of their most representative: Oscar Niemeyer, who “created a unique architecture.”
To this end, Coma presented the project for the church of Nossa Senhora de Fátima, in Brasilia, noting the Brazilian architect’s interest not only in the design of the building itself, but also in its details, such as the tile covering signed by painter, sculptor and designer Athos Bolcao that “translates Brazilian culture into modernity.” “.
The architect also highlighted the projection of the building’s concrete slab beyond the confines of its walls, creating a covered stabilization space, with shade, and an intersection between inside and outside, and vice versa. “I believe that in a post-coronavirus world, the space between indoor and outdoor spaces will become an important place for people to work and live. Niemeyer understood the quality of these gaps,” notes Coma, noting that the outdoor space is one of the libraries he signs inspired by the work of the master of Brazilian modernism.
Japan in Brazil
The architect also commented on the project he signed with FGMF Arquitetos in Brazil: the Japan House Cultural Complex. Located on Avenida Paulista, São Paulo, the building has an aesthetic that is in no way reminiscent of São Paulo’s “stone jungle” or other architectural symbols of the title (such as Masp) and which seeks to “reflect the culture of both countries”.
“The wooden structure was made by a Japanese carpenter in Hida-Takayama, which is deep in the mountains. The darker wood is from Brazil and the lightest from Japan. I used carbon fiber, a material ten times more resistant than iron. I used this modern technique, Japanese carpentry technique, and materials from Brazil and Japan, the latest industrial materials. I wanted to build an architecture rooted in Brazilian soil, but that was focused on the future,” Coma describes.
local and artisan
Woodwork, bamboo and craftsmanship are characteristic of the productions of the Japanese architect, who has projects in Japan, China, France, Switzerland, Italy and the United Kingdom, to name a few.
At the Japan National Stadium, in Tokyo, for example, Kuma used wood from 47 Japanese prefectures (in different colors) as a way to represent all the locations in action. More than that, he installed it in reference to its geographical location, the southern gate is the forests of Okinawa, located in the south of the country, and north from Hokkaido, respectively. Thus, when moving around the building, people can see the color of the wood in the place where they were born or live.
“Sports fields usually have concrete walls. But I thought I would use a lot of wood. That way the stadium merges with the surrounding forest garden. The wood creates staggered eaves so that the wind blows. It is different from this air conditioning culture. In a different direction. Everyone began to think that they did not want to live and work in a box, with air conditioning, but in a beautiful place, in the distance between them. I built a national stadium suitable for this new era.”
The professional concluded with an idea that has appeared in most of the speeches presented so far at UIA2021RIO, the power of architecture to intervene in environmental issues.
“I think the theme of our society from now on will be ‘How are we going to protect the environment? “I think this is possible through architecture, using local materials and creating that good flow of the forest and for the human and to do it with an architectural design that makes good use of wind and natural light.”
Content edited by:Luan Galani
