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.

Bognar describes in detail the work of Kengo Kuma whose designs have been attracting growing international attention. Kuma's work is characterized by simplicity and sensitivity to ecological issues taking account of the site and the materials used.

We are dealing with architectural works in which the subtle charm of the forms and the close relationship with nature are combined with great architectural knowledge and perfect functionality.

This illustrated study of Tenryuji, ranked number one among the five great Zen temples of Kyoto and a major destination for tourism and worship, weaves together history, design, culture, and personal reflection to reveal the inner workings of a great spiritual institution. Looking at Tenryuji's present as a mirror to its past, and detailing the famous pond and rockwork composition by renowned designer Muso Soseki, Norris Brock Johnson presents the first full-length "biography" of a Zen temple garden. Norris Brock Johnson is a professor of anthropology at the University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill and has been teaching and writing about Japanese temple gardens for over twenty years.

This book collects remarkable Japanese garden design projects, which might inspire the designers for more discoveries and creations. Japanese gardens (niwa) are the distinctive Japanese landscape category, which derives from the aesthetic and philosophical ideas in the east, and closely relate to local religious and cultural rituals. Represented by the dry gardens, tea gardens and stroll gardens, Japanese gardens are designed as the miniaturisation and abstraction of natural landscape, taking the naturalistic approach to draw the garden space into certain spiritual field. Japanese garden design is also open to modern design adaptations. For landscape designers, the study of Japanese gardens provides both classical reviews as research reference and novel landscape elements which could be taken into modern landscape design practice. This book collects remarkable Japanese garden design projects, which might inspire the designers for more discoveries and creations. AUTHOR: Hirofumi Suga is a Japanese garden designer (niwashi). He was born in May 31, 1972, in Shakujii-koen. At the age of 17, he started working as a gardener at Shinwa Garden Firm in Tokyo, and went to Kyoto to work at Murakami Gardening Firm about three years later. After those experiences, he started the design firm Ichimoku-Isseki at the age of 22, which evolved into 1moku(ichimoku). While working on garden creation, Suga has taken part in a wide range of projects, gaining a deep knowledge of interior design and the design of commercial spaces. Suga believes that a gardener should do more than simply building a garden. He attempts to ensure that spaces embody their underlying philosophy. Always aspiring to enhance the status of professional gardeners, he has extended his field from the exteriors of private homes to urban landscaping. SELLING POINTS: - The projects included in this book are designed by Japanese designers, and the gardens are of distinctive Japanese style. The organisation of the content covers the varied perspectives of Japanese gardens, such as public gardens, private gardens, and gardens for commercial space, etc. - Features gardens from Australia, the USA, Canada, Japan, Austria, Ireland, the UK, Hungary 400 col., 16 b/w

A personal tour of Tokyo’s architecture, as seen through the eyes of one of the world’s most acclaimed architects who is also designing the primary venue for the Tokyo Olympic games. Tokyo is Japan’s cultural and commercial epicenter, bursting with vibrancy and life. Its buildings, both historical and contemporary, are a direct reflection of its history and its people. Kengo Kuma was only ten years old when he found himself so inspired by Tokyo’s cityscape that he decided to become an architect. Here he tells the story of his career through twenty-five inspirational buildings in the city. Kuma’s passion is evident on every page, as well as his curiosity about construction methods and his wealth of knowledge about buildings around the world, making this a unique commentary on Tokyo’s dynamic architecture. Kengo Kuma: My Life as an Architect is an intimate and truly inspiring book, revealing the beauty that exists in the world’s everyday spaces.

Impeccably written, erudite . . . likely to remain the standard work on the subject.--Kyoto Journal