Momoyo Kaijima

Momoyo Kaijima (Kajima, Momoya; born 1969) is a Japanese architect known for her work at Atelier Bow-wow, a studio that was founded by herself and Yoshiharu Tsukamoto. Her work has focused mainly on urban residential buildings in Japan. In 2021, was appointed as a Full Professor of Affective Architectures in the Department of Architecture at ETH Zurich.

Early life and education Kaijima was born in Tokyo in 1969 and was interested in houses from a young age. Kaijima was not influenced by anything in particular, however she had many opportunities to visit different houses.

In 1991 she graduated from the Japan Women's University in the faculty of Domestic science. Kaijima received her post graduate degree from the Tokyo Institute of Technology in 1994 with an engineering degree and continued on to get a graduate and postgraduate degree from the same institution. Kaijima went on to lecture and work at many universities across the world; Harvard, Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts, Rice University, Delft University of Technology, Columbia, and E.T.H.Z. She has been an assistant professor at the University of Tsukuba since 2000 where she conducts research.

Career Kaijima started working with Yoshiharu Tsukamoto on competitions during their school career, and due to their successes, decided to create an Architectural studio together called Atelier Bow-Wow. Much of Atelier Bow-Wow’s work is centered on residential architecture, specifically in urban areas. These projects have often focused on utilizing the minimal space in urban centers in Kaijima’s home country of Japan. Kaijima believes that design needs to be “for our enjoyment, for our pleasure.”.

Kaijima focuses in her practice as well as her own research on humanist architecture. Some of her important projects include the Mado Building (2006), the House in Shinjuku (2005), the Tower of Winds (1986) and the Sendai Mediatheque (2001). Pet Architecture focuses on the small interstitial buildings that are common around Tokyo, mirroring her work at Atelier Bow-Wow. In Behaviorology, Kaijima and Tsukamoto look at small homes, and portable projects.

Kaijima has worked on over 150 architectural projects during her career.

List of published works

Source:

Made in Tokyo - 2001 Pet Architecture - 2007 The Architectures of Atelier Bow-Wow - 2010 Commonalities of Architecture—2016

List of selected works

Source:

1992 - Kiosk in Ruralscape 1994 - Articulatiors House 1996 - Eight & Half Daikan-yama 1998 - ANI House 1998 - Kusasenri Toilet 1998 - Mini House 1999 - Kawanishi Camping Cottage B 2000 - Moth House 2000 - Eight & Half Atelier 2001 - House Saiko 2002 - Das House 2002 - Kobe Piazza Italia 2005 - Hanamidori 2006 - Nora House 2008 - Sway House 2008 - Bokutei 2010 - Tower Machiya 2014 - Roji Machiya 2016 - Muji Books Ebisu 2017 - Periscope House 2021 - Home Base 2021 - HaHa House 2023 - Chestnut Tree Library

Honors and recognition

Source:

Riba International Fellowship in 2012 Curated the Japan Pavilion at the Venice Biennale in 2018 RIBA Prize 2021 Presidents Medal and Award for Research 2021 Wolf Prize in Architecture 2022