Kengo Kuma – Breathing Architecture: The Teahouse of the Museum of Applied Arts Frankfurt / Das Teehaus des Museums für Angewandte Kunst Frankfurt

A new interpretation of the Japanese teahouse by a celebrated modern architect

Kengo Kuma s Teahouse is a masterly reinterpretation of a classical Japanese building type. Delivered in August 2007 for the Park of the Frankfurt Museum of Applied Arts (a Richard Meier Building), Kuma s innovative structure in flexible, semi-transparent, breathing Tenara-Membrane - inflated by means of a pneumatic system to a blossom-like form - houses in the interior the classical elements for Japanese tea ceremony. Integrated LED technology allows the use of the teahouse at night; the interior can be heated by way of the membrane.
The monograph, including an original text by Kuma himself, gives an in-depth documentation of this lyrical temporary structure – an outstanding example of ephemeral architecture, combining poetry and technology - with many unpublished sketches, technical plans and with splendid colour photographs.

• An elegant and accomplished example of temporary, flexible architecture
• Ephemeral architecture is a hot topic in architecture today
• An attractive gift book on traditional and contemporary Japanese tea ceremony