News: The Chalk Garden opens at Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew

Kodai Architecture & Design
Oct 1, 2021
1 min read

Updated: Jan 2

The Chalk Garden Installation: "The Chalk Garden installation by Yuichi Kodai and Otis Roberts at Kew Gardens' Temperate House, featuring white chalk and Japanese maples."

Architectural Context: "View of the UNESCO World Heritage Temperate House at Kew Gardens during the Japan Festival 2021."

October 2nd – October 31st, 2021 | Japan Festival

We are delighted to announce that KODAI AND ASSOCIATES, in collaboration with Otis Landscape Associates, has been commissioned by the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, to participate in its flagship Japan Festival 2021.

Our task was to design a contemporary response to the traditional Japanese garden, situated within the breathtaking architectural skeleton of the Temperate House—a UNESCO World Heritage site and the world’s largest Victorian glasshouse.

The Concept: A Window for Reflection

The Chalk Garden is inspired by the Japanese philosophy of spatial perception. Rather than a static display, the garden is designed to pull the observer’s eye through a landscape of white chalk, presenting an environment that is intentionally open to interpretation.

Drawing from the tradition of tsubo niwa (courtyard gardens) and the abstract nature of karensansui (dry stone gardens), the Chalk Garden uses local British materials to create a meditative "white space." It offers a rare opportunity to pause, observe, and reflect amidst the vibrant botanical diversity of Kew.