Kengo Kuma: Onomatopoeia

The Casa da Arquitectura (CA)—Portuguese Centre for Architecture is preparing to host, from October 4, 2025 to March 3, 2026, the exhibition Kengo Kuma: Onomatopoeia, dedicated to one of the most renowned names in contemporary architecture worldwide. The exhibition is the result of a co-production and co-organisation between CA and the office of Japanese architect Kengo Kuma, promising an immersive experience that spans the senses and continents.

Based on a retrospective exhibition previously presented in cities such as Venice, Bonn, and Athens, the Portuguese version takes on a unique character by incorporating projects developed or underway in Portugal. The scenography and exhibition design will be handled by Kengo Kuma's own studio, which will adapt the content to the Casa da Arquitectura Exhibition Hall, reusing and reinterpreting previously existing supports in an exercise of sustainability and creative dialogue with the space.

The exhibition will consist of models, drawings, photographs and texts, focusing on onomatopoeia selected for the Portuguese edition. These elements will give shape to a sensory and inclusive narrative, where sound can also be incorporated as an interpretative tool, underlining the multisensory nature of Kuma’s work and his humanistic and integrative approach to architecture.

There are also plans to install larger-scale pieces, depending on specific partnerships, which will allow the physical presence of the exhibition to be expanded to other areas of CA. These works will also serve as a link to a parallel programme of activities, which will explore not only architectural themes but also the cultural intersections between Portugal and Japan, fostering dialogue between different ways of thinking about space, matter and experience.

Kengo Kuma: Onomatopoeia promises to be one of the highlights of the autumn cultural calendar, offering the public a rare opportunity to immerse themselves in the creative universe of one of today's most influential architects.