Copenhagen Contemporary invites audiences to explore a new frontier of sensory architecture with Kengo Kuma/KKAA’s site-specific installation, Earth | Tree. Opened on March 28th, 2026, this immersive project turns Hall 4 into a poetic landscape, inviting visitors to experience architecture through their whole body, not just their eyes.
The concept is inspired by the Japanese term komorebi, which describes sunlight filtering through tree leaves. This subtle, intangible phenomenon informs the aesthetic of the installation, creating a living interplay of light and shadow that resonates with our natural impulses for shelter, calm and reflection. Much like standing beneath a large tree, the work offers a moment of respite and encourages a meditative connection to space, light, and material.
Materials with memory: soft architecture and the komorebi concept
Kengo Kuma is renowned for his soft architecture philosophy, which involves creating buildings in dialogue with nature, place and people. In Earth | Tree, wood and brick are chosen not only for their physical properties, but also for their cultural and historical significance. The wood brings the scent of the forest into the space, while the brick connects the installation to a long tradition of craftsmanship.
Led by Yuki Ikeguchi, KKAA combines Japanese and Nordic perspectives on nature to create a harmonious, tactile and contemplative environment. Visitors can feel the textures beneath their fingertips, breathe in the natural scents, and move through a space that is simultaneously grounded and ethereal. As Ikeguchi explains: “Light, air and shadow are some of the most important materials to work with.”
You are also a maker: an invitation to participate in this sensory journey
Earth | Tree invites visitors of all ages to shape sand landscapes, build with Tsumiki—Kengo Kuma’s custom wooden blocks—and experiment with Danish wooden blocks and miniature bricks. This interactive element underscores the exhibition’s core message: architecture is a living, participatory practice. The installation shows that sensory architecture goes beyond observation, encouraging engagement with materials, light, and space, and turning the act of creating shelter into a fully bodily, intuitive experience.
CCREATE: KENGO KUMA/KKAA Earth | Tree – Installation view at COPENHAGEN CONTEMPORARY 2026
Photography by JACOPO LA FORGIA
