Kengo Kuma Wins Andrée Putman Award 2027

The global architecture community celebrates as influential Japanese architect Kengo Kuma has been named the recipient of the prestigious Andrée Putman Lifetime Achievement Award for 2027 by the Créateurs Design Awards, with the ceremony scheduled to take place at the Shangri-La Paris in Paris, France.

Born in Yokohama in 1954, Kuma established Kengo Kuma & Associates in Tokyo in 1990 before expanding with a Paris office in 2008. Over the decades, his practice has built an extensive international portfolio ranging from the V&A Dundee in Scotland to the Japan National Stadium in Tokyo, alongside recent projects such as the Saint-Denis Pleyel station in Paris completed in 2024.

Stock photo for illustration only, not from the actual event

The announcement highlights a core question that has long defined Kuma's practice: exploring how architecture can restore the relationship between humanity and the natural world. The award recognizes his broad trajectory spanning architecture, writing, teaching, and design.

Alongside his professional practice, Kuma has served as a professor at the University of Tokyo since 2009. His work continually bridges contemporary construction methods with traditional Japanese architectural motifs, focusing heavily on material expression and environmental harmony.

Source: designboom