“Architecture in Dialogue” with the picturesque landscape of the Domaine Solvay park, with the Fondation Folon, and with its founder – the Belgian illustrator, painter and sculptor Jean-Michel Folon, whose surreal little figures with birds and fish stepped down from their pedestals and “wandered” around Brussels last year. An exhibition by the world-renowned Japanese architect Kengo Kuma under this title opened at the Fondation Folon on 17 April 2026.
My personal axiom is that architects are the finest examples of the human species. On a sunny April day, I had the good fortune to come into contact, quite literally, – with one of the greats, a member of the top ten contemporary masters of architecture. An architect-magician who has made inherently heavy structures seem to float through space like light birds and butterflies. A master whose architecture is always perfectly integrated into the surrounding nature, landscape, and setting.
As Kengo Kuma explained each of his projects – tactfully separated from one another by transparent “veils” – he spoke of how he would first explore the surroundings, almost on patrol, in search of local types of wood, clay, and any materials suitable for construction. The key word is local. Respect for the genius loci – the spirit of the place. We hung on every word of the master.
The Fondation Folon is an ideal setting for an exhibition by an architect so deeply oriented towards merging with nature. Surrounded by lush greenery, with its own lake within the grounds of the Domaine Solvay park, it is housed in a former farm building belonging to the Château de La Hulpe. Its dark wooden beams echo the favourite material of the Japanese master – timber. Having begun his career with concrete structures, Kengo Kuma gradually moved towards a minimal use of concrete (reserved only for foundations) and the design of the lightest modular constructions, which at first glance seem to defy the laws of gravity and physics. Yet they are meticulously conceived, scientifically calculated, and fully grounded.
An intellectual architect, Kuma combines Japanese traditions, philosophy, and craftsmanship with high-tech innovation. He creates an architecture of the future. The exhibition, curated by his Tokyo-based firm Kengo Kuma and Associates, includes around twenty models, photographs, sketches, and installations. Observing them feels like solving an engaging puzzle – particularly valuable for students of engineering and architecture.
The exhibition demonstrates how closely Kuma’s architecture resonates with the poetic world of Jean-Michel Folon. Both share similar concerns – the global order, the concept of time, the relationship between humanity and nature, and the evolution of our cities. Both advocate dialogue and envision a more harmonious future. Lightness, transparency, delicacy, and dreamlike qualities remain central, as do a clear visual language and a striving for simplicity.
Instead of solid blocks, the exhibition employs layered meshes that allow light to pass through and blur the boundaries between interior space. The rejection of heavy envelopes and the desire to treat interior spaces as a continuation of the external world echo the light-filled imagery of Folon – birds, sky, and open пространства, evoking a profound sense of freedom and release.
“Natural architecture is architecture that has succeeded in establishing a harmonious relationship with the place where it stands.” – Kengo Kuma
“I was captivated by the expressiveness of drawing, its individuality, spontaneity, truthfulness, and sincerity.” – Jean-Michel Folon
Jean-Michel Folon’s (1934-2005) approach to art resonated deeply with Japanese aesthetics. A striving for simplicity through minimal means, sensitivity, a certain melancholy, the primacy of nature, and the power of landscape – all of these formed a natural bridge between his work and Japan.
As early as 1970, his first exhibition in Tokyo was organised at the initiative of the Olivetti and a Japanese press group. Together with his wife, the artist Colette Portal, the Belgian artist encountered Japan for the first time. He was profoundly impressed by the country’s culture, craftsmanship, and folklore. The softness of the landscape, the harmony of its gardens, and the refinement of traditional architecture left a lasting impression and captured his imagination. The admiration was mutual, and he became a welcome guest in the country. A second visit took place in 1985 for a major exhibition, followed by numerous collaborative projects and exhibitions throughout the 1990s.
In 2024–2025, the newspaper Chunichi Shimbun and three Japanese museums – Tokyo Station Gallery, Nagoya City Art Museum, and Abeno Harukas Art Museum – presented a retrospective of Folon’s work, organised by the Fondation Folon.
As part of these exhibitions, in September 2024 the Tokyo Station Gallery had the honour of welcoming the Emperor, Empress, and their daughter Aiko for a private viewing of the exhibition dedicated to Jean-Michel Folon. Yet an equally significant visit was that of Kengo Kuma. The Japanese architect was struck by how closely his own professional principles resonated with the work of the Belgian artist. This encounter gave rise to the idea of an exhibition by Kuma in the picturesque Domaine Solvay park, where in 2000 Folon himself established the Fondation Folon during his lifetime.
The exhibition is structured around four themes: lightness, softness, nature, and geometry. In Kuma’s work, lightness is not merely a desired aesthetic effect, but a conceptual approach. By replacing massive enclosed volumes with transparent layers, his architecture challenges the very notion of the traditional closed “architectural box”. Visitors are invited to reflect on how we build and inhabit the Earth – and how we might restore balance in a world where progress so often distances us from the places we truly belong. The retrospective includes Kuma’s landmark projects such as the V&A Dundee, the Japan National Stadium, the Portuguese Pavilion at the World Expo in Osaka, The Exchange Sydney, and the new gallery of Angers Cathedral, inaugurated on 9 April. Alongside these large-scale works, more intimate projects are also presented, such as Mêmu Meadows in Hokkaido and Komorebi at Château La Coste, as well as installations including Breath, Shang Xia, and Tetchan sample.
Micro-architecture created by students of ULB La Cambre Horta
The Faculty of Architecture La Cambre Horta organised a workshop entitled “From Design to Realisation” in collaboration with the Fondation Folon and Kengo Kuma and Associates. Students developed architectural installations that complement the exhibition. This initiative offers a rare opportunity to follow the entire process from initial sketch to completed project, in direct contact with both the museum and a world-renowned architectural practice. The workshop has been recognised and supported by Université libre de Bruxelles as part of the celebrations marking 160 years of Belgian–Japanese friendship.