Art Of Living

Discover Kenzo House, a contemporary home with an authentic Japanese Garden in Paris’ 11th arrondissement

- Amy Van

Kenzo Takada (1939-2020), founder of the luxury fashion brand Kenzo, took seven years to build his home in Paris, and completed it in 1993. The four-storey abode is located in the Bastille district, within walking distance to the fashionable enclave of Marais.

The late Paris-based Japanese fashion designer’s home is nestled in the courtyard of an 18th-century residential building. Subsequently, a renovation of this 1,280 sqm residence was done in 2017 by architect Kengo Kuma.

Built around its own interior courtyard, the cedar-clad residence is flanked by an authentic Japanese garden with a cherry tree and stone-studded pond filled with Nishiki carp (Japanese koi).

A legend in the fashion industry, the French-Japanese couturier was known for his jungle prints, bright graphics, global aesthetic and whimsical spirit. Like his fashion, Kenzo conceived his house as an eclectic convergence of East and West, cultures and art, textures and colours, light and form, with a Zen master’s reverence for nature.