With his stadium for the 2020 Olympics now underway in Tokyo, Kengo Kuma has revealed how his design involves Japan's tsunami-affected regions, how Kenzo Tange inspired his work, and why he now avoids iconic architecture at all costs.
Kuma, 62, is among a number of prolific architects working in Japan at the moment, but is particularly well-known for his use of wood, on projects such as his Garden Terrace Nagasaki hotel in southwest Japan and the Yunfeng Spa Resort in China.
However, the architect's early career was dominated by projects that were more experimental in style and form ? the most radical example being his postmodern M2 Building, which reads as a mishmash of different architectural styles.
In an exclusive interview, Kuma ? who ranked at number five on the Dezeen Hot List ? said he now avoids this type of architecture all together. "To be honest, sometimes I feel a bit embarrassed by some of my buildings," he said.
Kuma's early projects were more experimental in style and form, such as the postmodern M2 Building in Tokyo
"My method is to avoid heroic gestures, because you get to a point where the heroics kill the beauty of the material," he added.
"I want to find a balance expressing form and material. The form of the building should be as subtle as possible, because then the material's character can reveal itself."
This approach is best illustrated by the stadium that Kuma has designed for the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games:...