Kenzo Tange’s “Lumbini Sacred Garden -Birthplace of Buddha” through the process as the UN project

Kenzo Tange's 'Lumbini Sacred Garden - Birthplace of Buddha' stands as a pioneering UNESCO World Heritage project, initiated in 1969 to preserve the birthplace of Lord Buddha amid urbanization pressures. The study reveals how Tange's vision, commissioned by then-UN Secretary-General U Thant, aimed to balance cultural heritage conservation with modern development needs. Through an analysis of the project's early stages, the research highlights Tange's spatial planning innovations, which sought to integrate sacred and functional spaces while addressing the challenges of rapid infrastructure expansion in Lumbini. The study also notes unintended deviations from the original plan, including large-scale constructions not envisioned by Tange, underscoring the tension between long-term preservation goals and contemporary development demands.

Mori, T., Kurose, T., & Nishimura, Y. (2020). Kenzo Tange’s “Lumbini Sacred Garden -Birthplace of Buddha” through the process as the UN project. Journal of the City Planning Institute of Japan, 55(3), 1304–1309. https://doi.org/10.11361/journalcpij.55.1304