From lines to space
With Kengo Kuma – The Flow of Lines through the Lens of Erieta Attali, the Tchoban Foundation places the design process at the center of attention. The focus is on the creation of architecture through the interplay of drawing, material, and perception. On display are 86 hand-drawn sketches by Kengo Kuma, offering a rare insight into his thought process and working methods. These are not sketches in the classical sense, but rather independent works in which spatial strategies, movements, and structural considerations are condensed. The execution, reduced to minimal means and mostly monochromatic in pencil or charcoal, deliberately directs the viewer’s gaze toward the line as a central design and atmospheric element.
Kuma’s architecture, internationally renowned for its sensitivity in handling materials, light, and context, appears here as a continuous process of transformation. Projects such as the National Stadium in Tokyo or the V&A Dundee illustrate how local conditions, cultural references, and spatial perception coalesce into a nuanced architectural language. The photographs by Erieta Attali expand this perspective to include a spatial-atmospheric dimension. Her works are not mere documentations, but precisely composed interpretations of built environments. The focus is on transitions, lighting conditions, and material surfaces, making it possible to understand how the lines laid out in the drawings translate into real spaces. The interplay of drawing and photography creates an open space for thought in which architecture can be experienced as a dynamic structure. Both approaches follow a process-oriented understanding of form and space and move away from static typologies in favor of a fluid spatial organization. Architecture appears here as an ongoing constellation of lines, forces, and atmospheres. Curated by Nadejda Bartels, the exhibition is at once a reflection on the role of drawing in the digital age and on the interplay between design, representation, and built reality.
The exhibition will be on view from June 13 to September 13, 2026, at the Tchoban Foundation in Berlin. On June 12, the Aedes Metropolitan Laboratory will host a panel discussion featuring Kengo Kuma, Erieta Attali, Sergei Tchoban, and Barry Bergdoll, bringing together diverse perspectives on architecture, imagery, and theory.
Among Kengo Kuma and Associates’ current projects is the Waterfront Cultural Center with Harbor Baths on Paper Island in Copenhagen, in collaboration with Vilhelm Lauritzen Architects. Completion is scheduled for later this year.
Kengo Kuma – The Flow of Lines Through the Lens of Erieta Attali
Tchoban Foundation. Museum of Architectural Drawing
Christinenstraße 18a
10119 Berlin
June 13 to September 13, 2026
Hours: Mon–Fri: 2–7 p.m., Sat–Sun: 1–5 p.m.
Panel Discussion: June 12, 2026, 4 p.m.
Aedes Metropolitan Laboratory
Christinenstr. 18–19, 10119 Berlin
With Kengo Kuma, Erieta Attali, Sergei Tchoban, and Barry Bergdoll
