Kengo Kuma Expands the Portland Japanese Garden

The Pacific Northwest now boasts the first publicly commissioned work in the U.S. by superstar Japanese architect Kengo Kuma. It’s the centerpiece of the Portland Japanese Garden’s blockbuster $33.5 million expansion, known as the Cultural Village. “We tried to create a very subtle gradation from nature to architecture,” says Kuma, who used Oregonian timber, pagoda-like green roofs, and the skills of a 15th-generation stonemason. The addition includes classrooms, an exhibition space, and the Umami Cafe, all ringed by new gardens of bonsai, moss, and cascading chabana tea flowers. japanesegarden.org 

Kengo employed green roofs as a way to harmonize traditional Japanese forms with the lush garden surroundings. Photo: Bruce Forster

Miniaturized trees populate the Bonsai Terrace. Photo: Bruce Forster

The bamboo-clad interior of one of Kuma’s new pavilions, which holds exhibitions and classrooms. Photo: Bruce Forster

A 15th-generation Japanese stonemason was flown in to complete this castle wall. Photo: Bruce Forster

The Umami Cafe from the garden path below. Photo: Tyler Quinn

Traditional Japanese cuisine at the Umami Cafe. Photo: Bruce Forster