Point Line Plane is architectural theory, but written as narrative, full of intriguing vignettes, such as the fact that in Ancient Rome windows were fitted with slices of marble because glass was so expensive. It’s written in a very Japanese form: a series of mini essays that circle around a theme and is aimed at a highly literate audience.
Seventy-two related essays across four sections set out Kuma’s rejection of the architecture of volume and mass that categorized the twentieth century in favor of a more ad hoc architecture that can be easily disassembled and, by drawing on tried and tested practices of the past, touch the earth more lightly.
Reviews
A smart and enjoyable book. Through clear, conversational text, Kuma is able to explain the bases for his architectural ideas, rooting them in the lineage of both modern and traditional architecture, and he illustrates how his buildings stand apart from his contemporaries, both within and outside Japan.
— A Weekly Dose of Architecture Books
Kuma draws on everything from quantum mechanics to gravel under railroad ties and the 19th-century woodblock artist Hiroshige in this manifesto and curated architectural history. And, by examining his projects such as Stone Plaza in Nasu, Japan, and the V&A Dundee in Scotland, he explores how breaking volumes into points, lines, and planes has guided his work.
— Architectural Record
[A] divine experience of diving into the fascinating world of architecture … Reveal[s] how [Kengo Kuma's] constant encounters with the history of architecture over time has come to shape and enrich his own vision.
— Daniella on Design
Contributors
Kengo Kuma
Author
Kengo Kuma established Kengo Kuma & Associates in 1990 and went on to become professor at the Graduate School of Architecture, University of Tokyo, in 2009. He is widely known as a prolific writer and philosopher and has designed many buildings in Japan and around the world. He is also the author of several books, including Anti-Object and Kyokai: A Japanese Technique for Articulating Space.
