Kengo Kuma’s Eccentric Design Gives Casa Batlló a Fresh New Look

August 10, 2021

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By 

Miguel Adiarte

Kengo Kuma has been in the design industry for nearly 3 decades now. In the 30 years he’s spent honing his craft, he has been able to create some very interesting architectural works of art like the Suntory Museum of Art in Tokyo, the Bamboo Wall House in China, and LVMH (Louis Vuitton Moet Hennessy) Group’s Japan headquarters, to name a few. Each one of these projects showcased how talented of an architect Kengo Kuma is and he hasn’t slowed down one bit as he now is finishing his renovation works for the Casa Batlló in Barcelona.

The photography is by Jordi Anguera, courtesy of Kriskadecor

This project was a special one because the building he had to renovate was designed and built by Antoni Gaudi, who also saw this particular project as one of his masterpieces. It was built in 1906 and its ownership has been passed around throughout the century until it landed in the hands of the Bernat family in the 1990s. They have since restored the building to hold events like exhibits and things of that nature but they wanted to provide a bit more contemporary interventions into the design to immerse and engage with their visitors more effectively. Once this direction was clear, it was a no-brainer to hire Kengo Kuma because, unlike most Japanese architects, he tends to go against the flow of tradition. While some architects would stick to what works or what has been working for years, he constantly tests boundaries in design as well as material usage and it is heavily seen in what he’s done with Casa Batlló.

The photography is by Jordi Anguera, courtesy of Kriskadecor
The photography is by Jordi Anguera, courtesy of Kriskadecor
The photography is by Jordi Anguera, courtesy of Kriskadecor
chains
The photography is by Jordi Anguera, courtesy of Kriskadecor

Amazingly, Kengo Kuma was able to attain what the Bernat family wanted with the use of a single material which is none other than aluminum chains. Kuma’s design made use of nearly 170,000 meters of aluminum chains to create the special mesh that he used as the main decoration to his renovations. Reading about aluminum chains being used as a main element of the design can be very hard to picture in a good light but as these photos show, he made it work with flying colors. Who knew such a rigid material could create such a flexible and fluid aesthetic. The way it breaks and refracts both natural and artificial lights as it sways ever so slightly gives the illusion that the building is breathing to a certain extent. Some might even describe this effect to look like how the sunlight breaks at the surface of the ocean, with small ripples creating more shapes and patterns for you to bask in.

chains
The photography is by Jordi Anguera, courtesy of Kriskadecor
chains
The photography is by Jordi Anguera, courtesy of Kriskadecor

Creating such an intricate design is not easy and the use of technology was a must in making sure that all measurements were precise and as indicated in his master plan. If even 1 link of a chain was different from the rest, the fluidity of the lights reflecting on the chains would not be as mesmerizing as it is. It truly flaunts the professionalism of not only Kengo Kuma but his entire staff and team at Kengo Kuma and Associates. They are without a doubt a world-class firm and I’m excited to see what other marvels will be coming out of their sleeves soon.

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