Sakura Square, 1255 19th St.

Sakura Square was dedicated in 1973 and has been a downtown hub ever since. In 1966 Denver Urban Renewal Authority (DURA) developed plans to demolish older parts of the area now known as LoDo, which included the block where Sakura Square is located. The Tri-State Buddhist Temple bought the block so that the Japanese community could develop the culturally significant area themselves, rather than leaving it up to the Urban Renewal Authority. They hired architect Bertram Bruton, one of Colorado’s first licensed African American architects, to design the project. Included on the block with the Buddhist Temple is a residential high rise and commercial space. Bruton designed the high rise, Tamai Tower, to include Asian-inspired motifs, with elements of the Brutalist style in keeping with the Modern architecture of the Skyline Renewal project. The site includes a garden plaza that honors key figures in Colorado’s Japanese American history. Sakura Square remains a cultural center for the Japanese American community and helps to tell the story of the Japanese American experiences in Denver.