Job search
Job Search
Latest news
More news: (showing 1 - 20 of 13968)           
UK only International

Airbnb offers tea in Tokyo with Kengo Kuma and tour of his under-construction Olympic stadium

By Kim Megson    18 Jul 2018
Kuma has designed the new Tokyo Olympic stadium
As the number of tourists visiting Japan increases towards 2020, I feel a commonality with Airbnb’s aim of letting travelers feel they can belong anywhere
– Kengo Kuma

Airbnb has offered an exclusive meet and greet with Japanese architect Kengo Kuma, which will include a visit to his under-construction Tokyo Olympic stadium.

Five guests were given the opportunity to book the rare experience on a ‘first come, first served’ basis, with the places quickly snapped up.

The lucky few will begin their special ‘Airbnb Experience’ with a tour of Kuma’s studio in Tokyo’s Aoyama neighbourhood. The architect will then take them to Yoyogi National Gymnasium – built by Kenzo Tange for the 1964 Tokyo Olympics – and explain how it informed his perspective on architecture and design.

A tour of his own Olympic venue, the New National Stadium, will then follow. Guests will learn about the materials used in construction, the inspiration behind the structure’s design and the buildout process.

The experience will conclude on the rooftop of nearby SunnyHills, a tea shop for which Kuma designed the striking latticework exterior. Guests will be able to enjoy pineapple cakes and tea while getting to know the architect.

“As the number of tourists visiting Japan increases towards 2020, I feel a commonality with Airbnb’s aim of letting travellers feel they can ‘belong anywhere,’” said Kuma. “With this experience, I am looking forward to offering people my own style of hospitality and sharing my inspiration as an architect with them.”

Kengo Kuma Associates are currently working on a number of museums around the world, including a fairytale-themed museum dedicated to the life and work of author Hans Christian Andersen in Odense, a contemporary art museum in Turkey, the V&A Dundee design museum in Scotland, a the Museum of Indigenous Knowledge in the Philippines, and a bucolic art museum in Busan, South Korea’s second-largest city.

There are now several architecture-themed Experiences on Airbnb, in cities as diverse as Chicago, Brasília, Shanghai and Moscow.

Airbnb  Kengo Kuma  Tokyo  2020 Olympics 
Sign up for FREE ezines
Related news
Related features

Company profile

Company profile: Active IQ
The UK’s leading Ofqual-recognised awarding organisation for the physical activity sector, Active IQ offers over 100 accredited qualifications in a variety of disciplines from Entry-Level to Level 5.
View full profile >
More company profiles

Featured Supplier

W3Fit EMEA celebrates its fifth anniversary
Celebrating its milestone 5th anniversary, W3Fit EMEA returns in 2026 with an unmissable gathering of the Health & Fitness industry’s most influential leaders.
View full details >
More featured suppliers

Property & Tenders

Location: Stratford, East London.
Company: Lee Valley Regional Park Authority
Location: Y Felinheli, LL56 4QN
Company: Newmark
Location: Newhaven, Sussex
Company: EiA Real Estate
Location: Tutbury Castle, Staffordshire
Company: Savills
Location: Oxford
Company: University of Oxford
More properties & tenders

Diary dates

13-13 Jun 2026
Worldwide, Various
21-24 Sep 2026
The Langham Huntington Pasadena , Pasadena, United States
06-08 Oct 2026
Messe Stuttgart, Stuttgart, Germany
22-22 Oct 2026
QEII Conference Centre, London
More diary dates