Klein Dytham architecture: To Tokyo and Beyond maps 77 projects from one of Japan's most inventive studios, tracing a design philosophy that balances wit, cultural sensitivity, and formal invention across five countries.
About This Book
This comprehensive monograph documents the full breadth of Klein Dytham architecture's multidisciplinary practice — a Tokyo-based studio that has consistently resisted the earnestness of mainstream architectural discourse in favour of something more curious and more alive. Spanning retail, cultural, and commercial projects across Japan, Thailand, Italy, the United States, and the United Kingdom, the book traces KDa's evolution from early landmark works to recent commissions. Alongside the architecture, the studio's role in founding PechaKucha Night — now a global cultural phenomenon — reveals a practice engaged with ideas well beyond the building envelope. Full-colour photography and thought-provoking narratives illuminate a creative process rooted in experimentation and deep respect for Japanese architectural tradition.
Key Features
- 336 pages of full-colour photography and project narratives across 77 built works
- Projects include Daikanyama T-SITE (Tokyo), Open House (Bangkok), the Fender flagship store (Tokyo), and a Japanese cypress facade for the Cartier boutique (Osaka)
- Coverage of KDa's founding role in the global PechaKucha Night cultural phenomenon
- Published by Images Publishing, ISBN 9781864709933
What You'll Discover
- How KDa navigates the tension between playfulness and cultural respect — deploying humour as a design tool without sacrificing rigour
- The studio's approach to facade design as cultural communication, from openwork cladding on commercial buildings to cypress timber for a luxury boutique
- KDa's method of working across scales, from camouflaging a forty-storey tower within an alpine resort to intimate retail interiors
- The relationship between KDa's architectural output and its influence on social and cultural infrastructure, particularly through PechaKucha Night
About the Author
Klein Dytham architecture (KDa) is a Tokyo-based studio whose award-winning, multidisciplinary work spans architecture, interior design, and cultural programming. The studio is also co-founder of PechaKucha Night, a globally recognised presentation format and creative community event that originated in Tokyo.
Specifications
- Format: Hardcover
- Pages: 336
- Dimensions: 30 x 22 cm
- Language: English
- ISBN: 9781864709933
- Publisher: Images Publishing
- Publication Date: [Details available upon request]
Perfect For: Architects and interior designers with an interest in Japanese contemporary practice, students studying cross-cultural design approaches, and design enthusiasts drawn to work that treats wit and cultural intelligence as equally serious architectural values.