kengo kuma renovates fashion designer kenzo takada's parisian residence

kengo kuma has renovated the former residence of legendary japanese-french designer kenzo takada, founder of luxury fashion brand kenzo, into a house for its new owner, a french entrepreneur. located in the heart of paris, the house has been carefully renovated around the unique world kenzo had created for himself, which includes a beautiful japanese garden with a stone-studded pond filled with nishiki carp, the ornamental fish typically found in water gardens of japan.

all images by jimmy cohrssen, via KKAA

kengo kuma and asscociates planned the conversion with the stone-studded pond as its center, reorganizing all interior spaces and making all rooms as transparent as possible to create a direct visual connection to the garden from every corner of the property. in order to create a warmer, softer environment, textures throughout the 470 sqm of the house for which KKAA was in charge have been changed, using wood and clay as the main materials, and combined with floor-to-ceiling windows with views towards the green, light-filled interior courtyard.

signifying his passion for the tropics, kenzo takada’s original residence also incorporated a swimming pool facing the courtyard, which kuma has removed due to the climate of paris. in its place, the architects have created an engawa – a veranda directly connected to the house’s exterior, typical of japanese architecture – made with wood and lattices.

project info:

name: kenzo house

architect: kengo kuma and asscociates

partner in charge: yuki ikeguchi

team: chizuko kawarada, masatoshi tobe, aigerim syzdykova, tomohiro matsunaga (CG)

claywork collaborator: ES plasterers, paris

location: paris, france

floor area: 470 m2 (area KKAA was in charge)