Onomatopoeia, or “onomatopoeia”, is an art that is as mimetic as it is productive. For Japanese star architect Kengo Kuma, this means placing architects and users on an equal footing. “Architects,” he says, “are not at the forefront of architecture, but walk around with the users in architecture. Onomatopoeia is a kind of animal-like voice that is broadcast on a physical and tangible level.” The dialogue in Kengo Kuma’s approach is also emphasised by the fact that onomatopoeia in Japanese often consists of double syllables, the doubling of which in turn makes the language resound. In this way, flow and rhythm, typical elements of music, are incorporated into Kuma’s tactile and sensory architecture, often lending his buildings an unexpected lightness or inscribing them with a kind of movement, which he attributes to his own musical concept. Under the title „Kengo Kuma. Onomatopoeia Architecture“, the Bundeskunsthalle in Bonn is presenting around two dozen models of some of the Japanese star architect’s most important buildings from 8 March to 1 September. According to the announcement, the focus is on “the dialogue between man and material and the architect’s associated recourse to onomatopoeia”, which he uses to categorise his projects as well as from the start of a project and the selection of materials through to the construction of the entire building.
Kengo Kuma, born in Yokohama in 1954, has built all over the world. His buildings can be found in Japan, but also in Europe, the United States, China and Australia. He describes himself as a “materialist”, in the physical sense of the word. Based on the invention or use of words that contain sounds associated with the named, according to the museum, “Kengo Kuma gives form to a physical sensation that expresses his idea of sustainable architecture in which materials are reused and people and physical objects are reconnected”. For his buildings, the architect mainly uses traditional Japanese materials such as wood, paper and metal, which he utilises in his own unique and contemporary way. The surfaces appeal not only to the sense of sight, but also to the sense of smell and touch. Accordingly, the models on display in the exhibition are intended to encourage visitors to discover the sound of the various materials, including a temporary, five-metre-high pavilion made of aluminium and an experimental installation – a delicate wooden sculpture designed to express the onomatopoeias “tsun tsun” and “zure zure”. The exhibition is a takeover from the Palazzo Cavalli-Franchetti, which was developed for the 2023 Architecture Biennale.
Kengo Kuma. Onomatopoeia Architecture
8 March – 1 September 2024
Bundeskunsthalle
Helmut-Kohl-Allee 4,
53113 Bonn
https://www.bundeskunsthalle.de/
More on ndion
Discover more articles about architecture.
Share this page on social media:
