Material Immaterial:
The New Work of Kengo Kuma

By Botond Bognar

Monday, April 5, 2010 6.30 pm to 8.30 pm

(The speech and Q & A will be in English)

Every now and again Japan produces a world-class architect. Going back a few decades it was Kenzo Tange. Coming forward to the present, the name of Kengo Kuma springs to mind. Now we have a new book about Kuma's recent work by Botond Bognar, an academic authority in the field. He is a professor at the University Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. His 254-page book is lavishly illustrated, with photos of his many projects around the world. Kuma is constantly on the move, going from one country to another, nurturing his masterpieces. The man is phenomenally productive. Thanks to a close friend in the field, we have been able to obtain the honor of an evening with Kuma-a chance for him to expound on his many achievements, and tell us where to look, to know his work. With an office in Beijing, and the Mainland as one of his favorite places to work, we can look forward to an evening with one of the most creative minds in architecture today. Kuma will address us in English, and will bring with him a selection of slides to illustrate his talk. See you there, we hope.

Two words on Kuma and his work... He has received awards galore, and staged many an exhibition around the world. Two items in his artistic repertoire stand out. One, he is a fan of that soft stone known as tuff that Frank Lloyd Wright so loved, and used to build the Imperial Hotel in l923. (We can see a sample of that rock in the lobby area of our club, bestowed on us by the hotel, when they tore it down in l968). The other thing to bear in mind about Kuma is that, like so many artists, he uses that 17th century classic, the Katsura Rikyu, as a source of inspiration. Let us see what slides he will bring with him on April 5. Not to be missed! Kuma is a professor of architecture at Tokyo University in succession to Tange, Fumihiko Maki and Tadao Ando. Up to 2000 he ran a small office in Tokyo with just fifteen people working there. He is now up to well over seventy and counting…

A dinner will be served at a cost of 1,850 yen (including tax). Sign up　now at the reception desk (3211-3161) or online at　http://www.fccj.or.jp. To help us plan proper seating and food　preparation, please reserve in advance, preferably by noon of the day of the event. Those without reservations will be turned away once available seats are filled.

Reservations cancelled less than 24 hours in advance will be charged in full.

Library Committee, THE FOREIGN CORRESPONDENTS' CLUB OF JAPAN

A