Kenzo House: Kenzo Takada built a piece of Japan at the heart of Paris

MANILA, Philippines — When two icons come together, it is almost a guarantee that the final product will be a stunning work.

This was the case between fashion designer Kenzo Takada and notable Japanese architect Kengo Kuma as their ideas gave birth to what now stands as the Kenzo House in Paris' Bastille district. 

It is in Paris, alright, but the 13,778-square-foot, four-storey residence is identifiably Japanese with many of its interiors and facade paying homage to Kenzo's heritage.

Its beauty lies in its focal point — Kuma redesigned the rooms to face the Japanese courtyard garden, which features a traditional Japanese pavilion with a tea ceremony room, a Japanese koi pond, a waterfall and several outdoor terraces. 

Kuma also converted the former indoor lap pool into an engawa, a traditional Japanese exterior corridor crafted from wooden latticing.

"Transparency is a characteristic of Japanese architecture; I try to use light and natural materials to get a new kind of transparency," Kuma said.

Kenzo first built and completed his house in 1993. The current owners tapped Kuma to renovate the house in 2018. The Japanese architect worked on the house with architect Loïk Corre, who had worked on Kenzo’s original plan. 

"It’s all much more Japanese than before and much more modern," Kenzo was quoted to have said when he returned as a dinner guest to his former home.

Kenzo, who had called Paris his home since the 1960s, succumbed to the complications of COVID-19 in 2020. 

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