A detailed examination of the beautiful and sensitively realized
addition to the famed Portland Japanese Garden by contemporary Japanese
architect Kengo Kuma.
Kengo Kuma: Portland Japanese Garden introduces the star Japanese
architect's first public project in the United States. Kuma won the
Portland Japanese Garden invitational competition by proposing a design
that, while executed with contemporary materials and the latest
construction technology, also builds on the principles of traditional
architecture and craftsmanship. The resulting group of small buildings
superbly blends with its magnificent natural environment and provides an
outstanding example of Kuma's artistry of seamlessly connecting nature
and architecture as well as past and present without falling into the
trap of mimicry or sentimentality.
The book includes chapters on the reverence of nature and Japanese
culture, on architecture and gardens in Japan, on the architecture of
Kengo Kuma beyond the garden, and on craftsmanship and design, as well
as on the new buildings and the garden itself, which is widely
considered the most beautiful such garden outside Japan.