Kengo Kuma/KKAA: Earth / Tree

Inspired by the Japanese concept of komorebi — sunlight filtering through tree canopies — Earth / Tree by Kengo Kuma/KKAA transforms the sensory experience of being beneath a tree into an immersive architectural installation. Presented at Copenhagen Contemporary, the project explores shelter as a bodily memory, inviting visitors into a space shaped by wood and brick, materials chosen for their tactile qualities and deep cultural histories across Japanese and Nordic traditions.

Developed under the direction of Yuki Ikeguchi, the installation emphasizes light, air, and shadow as active elements, engaging the senses beyond vision through scent, texture, and movement. At its core, Earth | Tree extends beyond observation: a central workshop area encourages visitors to build, shape, and experiment with materials themselves, framing architecture as a shared, intuitive act of making.