Portland Japanese Garden Cultural Crossing

Project Case Study

The Cultural Crossing project is a place of inspired inter-cultural exchange and dynamic hands-on learning. While the project is an expansion of the existing Portland Japanese Garden, already a celebrated landmark known as one of the most authentic Japanese gardens outside of Japan, it diverges significantly from traditional Japanese garden design. Cultural Crossing creates a setting in which the ecological principles and high-performance sustainable techniques, blend with the aesthetics of modern Japanese design, and become the backdrop for a socially dynamic, world-class educational program. The Landscape Architects worked within a team that was itself multi-cultural and interdisciplinary. The elegant, contemporary spaces of the Cultural Crossing restored the impacted landscapes of the site, and transformed the space into an immersive and interactive environment to learn about Japanese culture and craft.