It’s been the culmination of a lot of work, fundraising and co-operation, but the Nikka Yuko Japanese Garden opened their new Bunka Centre, Thursday, July 14.

“ It’s a wonderful building,” summarized Brad Hembroff, president of the Nikka Yuko Japanese Garden committee.
The building, designed by Elizabeth Songer, provides a cultural hub for visitors to experience and learn more about Japan and the history of Nikka Yuko Japanese Garden through exhibits, workshops, and ongoing programs and events. While the garden and the structures inside it reflect traditional Japanese culture, the Bunka Centre offers visitors a modern technology-enhanced experience using augmented reality and interactive experiences, including a memory booth, meeting rooms, display rooms and rooms for art exhibits.
Bunka means culture in Japanese.
Lethbridge’s Songer architecture inc designed the new Bunka Centre to suit a variety of uses and was recently announced as the winner of the 2022 Prairie Wood Design Awards in the industry award
category for the Centre.
Hembroff noted the Nikka Yuko Japanese Gardens has been a hub for cultural activities and fellowship since it first opened in 1967.
“The Bunka Centre tells the story of the Japanese Gardens. It’s history is not static. It will continue to evolve,” he said.