Kurokawa Kisho
(b. 1934), Japanese architect. Kisho "Noriaki" Kurokawa's stature was established early. By 1959, he had published a study of industrial housing in the Soviet Union. (Over three dozen books in Japanese and a dozen in English followed.) Kurokawa became known globally the following year as one of the founders of Metabolism, a postwar movement concerned with exploiting technological advances in a new, adaptable architecture. His 1970 Nakagin Capsule Building in Tokyo confirmed him among Japan's leading architects. In the building, rooms made from shipping containers ("capsules") were attached to a fixed core and were theoretically easily removed or reconfigured.
Kurokawa's Toshiba IHI Pavilion for Expo '70, the first modern international architecture exposition held in Asia, was one of the earliest buildings designed using computers, reflecting his ongoing fascination with technology. Throughout his career, however, he countered the rational with a love of poetry and philosophy. In the 1980s, Kurokawa brought these approaches together in his theory of Symbiosis—a postmodern challenge to all architects to look beyond Western precedents. Kurokawa has embraced regional culture over sentimental traditionalism, in projects ranging from studies of the physical character of streets to nuanced interpretations of sukiya, the "artless simplicity" of teahouse architecture.
Kurokawa's learned approach brought him commissions from the art world, including highly regarded museums in Hiroshima, Nagoya, Wakayama, Belgium, and Holland. The diversity of his practice is demonstrated by his proposal for revitalizing Tokyo and by his designs for ecological cities in Japan and China. The 1998 Kuala Lumpur Airport summarizes Kurokawa's strengths: finely detailed, high tech, and framing lush natural spaces.
Further Reading
Kurokawa, Kisho. (1977) Metabolism in Architecture. London: Studio Vista; Boulder, CO: Westview Press.
——. (1991) Intercultural Architecture: The Philosophy of Symbiosis. London: Academy Editions; New York: American Institute of Architects Press.
——. (1994) The Philosophy of Symbiosis. London: Academy Editions.
Sharp, Dennis, ed. (1998) Kisho Kurokawa: From the Age of the Machine to the Age of Life. London: BookART.
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