Art of Play - Wonder by Design

Point Line Plane

Point Line Plane - Main image
$17.5 $35 In stock

Category: Architecture

Kengo Kuma is one of Japan's leading architects and Professor Emeritus at the University of Tokyo. Widely known as a prolific writer and philosopher, he proposes architecture that opens up new relationships between nature, technology and human beings.

Through a series of thought-provoking essays, he unveils his vision of architecture as a dynamic interplay between tradition and innovation, critiquing the megastructures and capitalist influences of the 20th century and challenging readers to reconsider the role of architecture in shaping our world.

"Literature and architecture have very much in common — they have to provide people with dreams." - Kengo Kuma

Drawing from diverse disciplines including art history, philosophy and literature, Kuma crafts a narrative that transcends the boundaries of traditional architectural theory, presenting a compelling manifesto for a new era of design - one that dismantles hard concrete volumes into points, lines and planes that celebrate the simplicity and sustainability of human connection.

Customer Reviews (4.8 / 5 · 5 reviews)

Edward L. ★★★★★

The way Kuma unpacks the relationship between architecture and philosophy here is genuinely eye-opening, and I found myself re-reading his passages on materiality twice. As someone who studied architecture in college, this book feels like a masterclass I wish I'd had back then.

Mia ★★★★★

The way Kuma ties philosophical ideas into architectural practice is genuinely eye-opening, and the chapters on materiality really made me rethink how space feels. I’ve already dog-eared half the pages and plan to reread it slowly.

Benjamin ★★★★★

Kuma's writing style carries the same quiet precision as his buildings—each chapter unfolds like a well-placed shoji screen. The way he frames architecture as a philosophy rather than mere construction kept me underlining passages for days.