10 Kengo Kuma Buildings That Prove His Genius

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This groundbreaking complex houses the offices of the Toshima’s government, a high-rise condominium, and a vertical garden (a feature central to the building’s ecological goals). Containing solar panels and reclaimed wood elements, it is covered with greenery that gives it the appearance of a huge tree, with a goal to reconnect the city’s inhabitants with nature.

Japan National Stadium, Tokyo, 2019

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In this building on the site of an earlier national stadium, Kuma once again used wood as the primary construction material—a perfect representation of his ideas on traditional style turned towards the future. By using cedar and small pieces of other woods, it offers the visitor a striking spectacle reminiscent of elaborate traditional Japanese structures. Inspired specifically by the Horyuji Temple in Karuga, Japan, Kuma’s “forest stadium” embraces nature.