In Prague, the author of the next Olympic stadium will present his work

Prague - Japanese architect Kengo Kuma, the author of the future Olympic stadium in Tokyo, will personally open his exhibition in Prague today. The retrospective of the architect, who combines traditional Japanese building materials with modern technologies in his constructions, will take place at the Jaroslav Fragner Gallery. Kuma will give a public lecture at the Bethlehem Chapel in the evening.

In the Jaroslav Fragner Gallery, a student workshop with Kuma's colleagues has also been held in recent days, the result of which in the form of a site-specific pavilion will be seen by visitors at the grand opening of the exhibition.

The exhibition will showcase 15 of Kuma's recent projects on panels and models, including the FRAC museum in Marseille, the Entrepot Macdonald educational and sports complex in Paris, the Center for the Performing Arts in Granada, and a new exhibition park in Chartres. "In his sensitive buildings and realizations, ancient Japanese tradition merges with modernity, and elementary natural materials are complemented by the use of modern technologies. We are pleased to present, in collaboration with the Faculty of Architecture CTU and the Japanese Embassy, the work of this exceptional creator as the first in Central Europe," says the director of the Jaroslav Fragner Gallery, Dan Merta.

According to him, the exhibition will show what the world values most in Kengo Kuma: a sensitive approach to traditional Japanese building materials and modern technologies, friendliness and accessibility to users, inspiration drawn from the character and specifics of the location where the building arises, and the suppression of tendencies towards violent dominance of the building over the natural order of its surroundings.