Eden – The Landscape Valley

Miyagi, Japan

Photo © 1moku co.

Landscape Architects: 1moku co.

Location: Miyagi, Japan
Year: 2011

EDEN-The Landscape Valley is a commercial complex in front of JR Sendai station built on the site of the historic Sendai Hotel after it closed in 2011. 1moku handled landscape design for this new complex. The "EDEN" concept comes from an image of a relaxing garden paradise in the busy Sendai city center. Its name is somehow reminiscent of its predecessor's, and the landscaping actively attempts to retain memories of the Sendai Hotel period. During the design process for the garden, we decided as far as possible to avoid using composite materials. This choice was inspired by the EDEN/Genesis perspective, going back to what was available in humankind's early days. Consequently, we used compacted earth for benches, and solid steel for pots. We also decided to plant vegetation in accordance with the season, aiming to produce a space that felt fresh all year round. The project was interrupted by the East Japan earthquake, but has now been successfully completed as a result of the great effort by the many people involved.