Portland Japanese Garden

Portland commissioned Kengo Kuma for his first public commission in the U.S. to design the new “Cultural Village” within the park to quarter its popularity. Modeled on the Japanese tradition of monzenmachi or gate towns, he wanted to create a flowing, accessible community that was also capable of hosting everything from events to educational affairs. The complicated cubic and rectilinear volumes feature pitched roofs and façades not achievable with natural materials. By finishing aluminum plate surfaced with silver and white pearl and adding a matte granite layer on top, a sense of substance and materiality was achieved in the proper forms.