View all News & Photos

Portland Japanese Garden Receives Global Recognition

Photo by Bruce Forster

Since the 2017 Cultural Crossing expansion, feedback for the improved Portland Japanese Garden has been overwhelmingly positive. The organization is honored to be recognized in press from around the world.

The Garden was listed in Architectural Record’s Top Ten Picks in the world, calling the new buildings an “exquisite trio.” Architectural Digest noted the additions “accentuate that sense of peace, mindful as they are of the landscape and the elements.”

Our reviews have ranged from “unrivaled as a romantically exotic setting” (Wall Street Journal) to Forbes Magazine’s summary of the expansion, “The halcyon village will immerse visitors in traditional Japanese arts and culture via genuine minimalist aesthetics, open-air wood pavilions, an 18-foot-high Medieval wall, and tranquil landscapes modeled after spiritual-inspired enclaves of Japan.”

PRESS HIGHLIGHTS:       

Alaska Beyond In-flight Magazine, A Pacificwide Friendship, September 2019

Associated Press (Hosted), Portland Japanese Garden expansion complete, April 1, 2017

Architectural Digest, Top 8 Most Beautifully Designed Gardens in America, March 2019

Architectural  Digest, Kengo Kuma Tells AD About His Latest Project, June 9, 2017

Architectural Record, Portland Japanese Garden Cultural Village by Kengo Kuma & Associates, August 1, 2017

Conde Nast Traveler, 17 Best Things to Do in Portland, December 20, 2018

Crain’s Business Journal, A favorite among locals and tourists, expanded Portland Japanese Garden, April 2017

Dezeen (UK), Kengo Kuma’s expansion at Portland Japanese Garden opens, April 2017

Dwell, Tour Kengo Kuma’s Expansion of Portland Japanese Garden, April 5, 2017

Elle Décor (Italy), Il Giardino Giapponese di Kengo Kuma a Portland, October 18, 2017

Forbes, Kengo Kuma’s Village Beautifies Portland Japanese Garden, January 28, 2017

The Guardian (UK), Portland City Guide: What to See, May 27, 2017

The Japan Times, Leave Ordinary Life Behind at Garden in Portland, December 15, 2017

MSN.com, Portland Japanese Garden Most Romantic Place in Oregon, February 2, 2019

MSN.com, 92 trips everyone should take in the US, September 20, 2017

The New York Times Magazine, Kengo Kuma’s Architecture of the Future, February 2018

NHK World (Japan/U.S.), A Sense of Nature, April 6, 2017

Newsweek Magazine, Portland Japanese Garden “thing to do in Portland,” October 2019

Oregon Public Broadcasting, Portland Japanese Garden Opens New Village, March  2017

The Oregonian, Portland’s Japan Connection, August 4, 2019

The Oregonian, Portland Japanese Garden Expansion Complete, March 2017

Portland Monthly, Portland Japanese Garden Gets a Gorgeous Upgrade, April 17, 2017

Le Progres (France), Portland, la plus cool des ville americaines, July 8, 2017

The Sacramento Bee, Outdoor Adventures, Zen in Quirky Portland, November  2017

The Seattle Times, Fall Colors & New Village at Portland’s Japanese Garden, Sept. 2017

Section Magazine, Cultural Crossing Architecture in Past Meets Future, June 19, 2019

Sunset, Local’s Guide to Portland, June 28, 2017

Time Magazine, 25 U.S. Attractions to Visit in a Lifetime, September 1, 2017

U.S. News & World Report, Portland Japanese Garden Expansion Complete, April 1, 2017

Wall Street Journal, Best Architecture of 2017: Buildings of Quiet Ambition, April 29, 2017

Yahoo Finance, 50 Affordable Trips to Take After You Turn 50, August 7, 2019

Yorkshire Post (UK), Tea Drinking has Brought Tourism Stream to OR, September 2017

新建築 Shinkenchiku, Kengo Kuma designs at Portland Japanese Garden, Vol 22 2017

 

AWARDS AND ACHIEVEMENTS:  

2019 LEED (Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design) Gold Certification Award

2019 WA American Society of Landscape Architects, Award of Excellence

2018 American Council of Engineering Companies of Oregon, Engineering Excellence: Best in Category

2018 American Public Garden Association, Program Excellence Award Program   Excellence Award

2018 Daily Journal of Commerce, Architect of the Year: Portland Japanese Garden Architecture Team

2018 Garden Society of Japan Jury Commendation/Exceptional Achievement (Sadafumi Uchiyama, Portland Japanese Garden Curator)

2018 WoodWorks: Beauty of Wood Award

2017 American Institute of Architects: Portland Honor Award

2017 American Society of Landscape Architects, Oregon Design: People’s Choice Award

2017 American Society of Landscape Architects, Oregon Design: Honor Award

2017 Engineering News Record, Best Projects: Project of the Year Award

2017 Engineering News Record, Northwest Best Projects: Best Cultural / Worship

2017 Metal Architecture Design, Metal Roofing Award

2017 Portland Business Journal, Commercial Real Estate Transformer Award

2017 Structural Engineers Association of Excellence in Engineering Award: Jurors’ Favorite

2017 Travel Portland, Tourism and Hospitality Industry Award