The financial crisis, and the end of “flashy architecture”

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The industrial society of the 20th century generated the functional, transparent, and uniform architectural style known as “modernism.” “Modernist architecture was all about being ‘quick and large.’ Demand was rising in the cities for large-scale factories and housing complexes for the workers. As a result, there was a need to construct sizable buildings in a short amount of time. Concrete, iron, and glass were the answer to this.” Modernism was also about detaching architecture from the location. “If architecture could be detached from the location, you could construct the same building in the same style anywhere in the world. This method of commercializing architecture was what the great masters of modernism created. This standardized urban architecture around the globe and the locality and history of each site were being obliterated.”

Gradually, the architectural style changed as the economy went from being based around an industrial society to information capital and then on to financial capital. Handsomely funded, flashy architecture popped up everywhere with exaggerated décor by egoistical architects. This is known as “post-modernism architecture”. But as financial capitalism began to stall, people began to search for a new style.

The value in the process

Today, for the first time since the introduction of modernism, the style of architecture is reversing completely. As colossal buildings crowd the cities, the need for “quick and large” is decreasing, Kuma says. “I feel the process behind the architecture and the courage to take time in building it, will become increasingly important. Choosing complicated construction methods such as fitting wooden pieces together and involving professions of all kinds, is a great way to bring people together through architecture. In addition, making things is always fun. The more people are involved, the more fun we have. People are beginning to realize the value of ‘slow’ architecture, where the process is a part of the fun”.

For a 2017 museum project in Paris, France, Kuma teamed up with a close washi artist to create customized aluminum mesh covered in washi, to encompass the space. The French people involved in the construction enjoyed the process greatly. The roots of Kuma’s dedication towards materials and construction processes lie in the 1990s after the burst of the economic bubble. With no job opportunities in Tokyo, Kuma studied Japan’s prefectures, discovered local materials and craftspeople, and created several works there. Some projects in Tochigi went on to deeply influence Kuma’s future. The Stone Museum Kuma built in 2000, is a private museum founded by a local stone dealer.

“The budget was tight, but we were able to use all the stones we wished. And since there were masons available on the site, we built the museum without using any conventional construction materials. The masons and I invented ‘stone louvers’ in which thinly cut stones were laid to let wind and light into the building. For windows, we mounted 6mm sheets of marble instead of glass.”

The museum that took 4 years to construct won the International Stone Architecture Award (Italy) in 2001. This sparked Kuma’s fame and various offers began to come in from Europe and North America.