Point Line Plane

by Kengo Kuma

Ostensibly a collection of writing that sets out Kengo Kuma's theories of architecture, but also an antivolume, antimegastructure, and in some sense anticapitalist, left-field critique of where the architecture world finds itself today.

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 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.

72 black-and-white illustrations

Genres: Architecture

216 pages, Hardcover

Published October 8, 2024

Reviews

[Lukas Blume · Rating 4 out of 5]

Kengo Kuma explores the development of architecture over the course of history through the lens of materiality, specifically outlining the ways in which he utilizes these various materials in the forms of the title: points, lines, and planes. I found this to be a rather refreshing perspective that succeeds, to some degree, in quantifying the subjective nature of texture in architecture. The point and line chapters, in particular, were excellent; I was less convinced by the plane chapter, particularly in his "Casa Umbrella", but overall I valued the insight into his thought process towards material architecture.

[Monika Thornton · Rating 5 out of 5]

Point Line Plane is a fantastic introduction to a new type of perspective with plenty of things referenced for further investigation. I am not particularly well read but I look forward to coming back to it when I've read more.