Landscapes Exploration

Nature, Symbolism and the Garden

An exploration of key moments and their impacts in the evolution of Landscape Architecture as an expression of ideology

Gabrielle Raz-Liebman 628119 Tutor: Anna Hooper History of Designed Landscapes

Chapter 1

The Taj Mahal’s Char Bagh The Garden as a Paradise

Chapter 2

Courances

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3

The French Formal Garden and Power

Chapter 3

Rousham

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Romanticism in the Landscape

Chapter 4

The Royal Botanical Gardens

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Representing Landscapes on the New Continent

Chapter 5

Odette Monteiro Residence (1946) Landscape as Artistic Expression

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Chapter 1

symmetry an expression of the number 2

The Taj Mahal’s Char Bagh The Garden as a Paradise

In 1632 Shah Jahan (1592-1666) began construction on the Taj Mahal, an elaborate tomb complex for his late beloved wife.1 The Paradise Garden, derived from the traditional Islamic char bagh garden form,2 acts as a bridge between the living and the after-life by employing nature as a symbol of religious beliefs and ideals.

The word paradise, derived from the Persian word ‘Pairidaeza’, means ‘enclosure’. The word denotes a sense of security and safety, enhanced in its literal form through this walled garden planted with fruiting trees: objects of desire in the harsh desert climate.

Fig. 2:5 Detailing in Taj Mahal’s walls

Geometry manifests in the garden on a scale from the stunningly simple, to more complex forms through tessellating patterns.

4 sided shape

importance of number 4 Symbolism: Four canals represent the rivers believed to be found in Islam’s vision of paradise.

Water Wine Milk Honey3

8 sided shape

Fig. 1:4 Plan of Char Bagh 1. John Brookes, Gardens of Paradise, (New York: The Meredith Press, 1987), 152 2. Jonas Lehrman, Earthly Paradise (London: Thames and Hudson, 1980). 153 3. “Taj Mahal Gardens”, The Taj Mahal, accessed October 21 from http://www.tajmahal.org.uk/taj-garden.html 4. Jonas Lehrman, Plan 28, 1980. photograph. Source: Jonas Lehrman, Earthly Paradise (London: Thames and Hudson, 1980). 152

Fig. 3:6 Tiles of garden 8 point star = symbol of islam and multiple of 2 and 4

Religious symbolism is expressed through the numbers found in the edges of these shapes. The connection between life and death; male and female; sun and moon are expressed through symmetry and reflectivity.

Fig. 4:7 8-point star beds of grass

5. Unknown, “Tilings at the Taj Mahal 3”, 2010, photograph. Source: The Mathematical Tourist, accessed October 2016 from http://mathtourist.blogspot.com. au/2010/09/tilings-at-taj-mahal.html 6. Unknown, “Tilings at the Taj Mahal 6”, 2010, photograph. Source: The Mathematical Tourist, accessed October 2016 from http://mathtourist.blogspot.com. au/2010/09/tilings-at-taj-mahal.html 7. Unknown, “Tilings at the Taj Mahal 10”, 2010, photograph. Source: The Mathematical Tourist, accessed October 2016 from http://mathtourist.blogspot.com. au/2010/09/tilings-at-taj-mahal.html

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Fig. 5:8 View of Taj Mahal through trees presents architecture as an almost un-earthly presence.

The Paradise Garden originates in the Middle East, where Paradise represents relief from the harsh desert climate.9

cypruses a symbol of death

reflectivity expressed through marble as well as water, as the architecture reflects the changing of light from day until night.

fountains placed only along northsouth axis to draw attention towards tomb structures13 Water represents prosperity and life, as well as providing irrigation to plants12

Fig. 7:11 View across char bagh

The char bagh is a very early precedent that sees the garden as a means to represent spiritual ideas. In the centuries to follow, designers continue to manipulate nature within the garden as a form of cultural expression, but can be seen to manifest very differently depending on the social and environmental context.

Fig. 6:10 Water is an essential unifying element in the char bagh design 8. Jonas Lehrman, Image 167, 1980. photograph. Source: Jonas Lehrman, Earthly Paradise (London: Thames and Hudson, 1980). 153 9. Andrew Saniga, “Ancient and Islamic Lanscapes”, ABPL20039: History of Designed Landscapes (Melbourne, VIC: University of Melbourne, July 29, 2016), lecture 10. Jonas Lehrman, Image 168, 1980. photograph. Source: Jonas Lehrman, Earthly Paradise (London: Thames and Hudson, 1980). 153 11. John Brookes, “Main Watercourse”, 1987, photograph. Source: John Brookes, Gardens of Paradise, (New York: The Meredith Press, 1987), 152

12. Saniga, “Ancient and Islamic Lanscapes” 13. Brookes, Gardens of Paradise, 153

Due to the harsh climate in which the Taj Mahal is situated, the intigration of water, trees, shaded pavilions, and depictions of animal life are essential within the char bagh: in order to create a paradise within the desert.

Chapter 2

3

Courances

The French Formal Garden and Power

The general composition of Courances dates back prior to 1630 with the initial designer remaining largely unknown. Yet its impact is evident, marking the innovation of the grand design choices seen in later work by the prolific Andre Le Notre.1

Natural stream isn’t incoporated into the garden aestheic given the preference for canals that exhibit advances in hydrolic technology2

axial relationship to house to create vistas and sense of dominance over landscape

close situation to village suggests relationship between French garden design and urban form. axiality

large blocks of vegetation symmetry3 Fig. 2: Generating geometry5 Fig. 1: Plan of Courances4

1. Thierry Mariage, The World of Andre Le Notre, (Philadelphia: Univesity of Pennsylvania Press, 1999), 75 2. Mariage, The World of Andre Le Notre, xiii 3. Andrew Saniga, “French Renaissance”, ABPL20039: History of Designed Landscapes (Melbourne, VIC: University of Melbourne, August 12, 2016) , lecture 4. Thierry Mariage, The World of Andre Le Notre, (Philadelphia: Univesity of Pennsylvania Press, 1999), 73, figure 25

Examples of French Geometric Garden axial arrangements show the strong formal rules that dictated the design practice of the era.6

5. Thierry Mariage, The World of Andre Le Notre, (Philadelphia: Univesity of Pennsylvania Press, 1999), 72, figure 24 6. Mariage, The World of Andre Le Notre, 25

The French Renaissance (14th-17th C)7

Following suit from the Italians, the French embraced this era of scientific and philosophical progress. In garden design, it manfiested as a celebration of the human’s ability to manipulate the landscape.8

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Extended sight lines and grand avanues assert the viewers sense of dominance over the landscape10 Avenue narrors dramatically to create illusion of greater distance9

Fig. 4: Example of flowers from which parterre designs were derrived12

Fig. 5: Embroidered parterre design13

fence and gate highlight the prescribed and strict circulation of the site

embroidered parterres

Styalising nature in order to create an overarching aesthetic harmony and imagery rather than an emphasis on the plant itself.

Fig. 3: View across canal11

7. Tom Turner, Garden History, (London: Routledge, 2005), 142 8,9,10. Saniga, “French Renaissance” 11. Thomas Dupaigne, “view across canal”, n.d., digital photograph, accessed October 2016 fromhttp://photosdejardins.com/reportages/parc-de-courances/ 12. Pierre Vallet, “botanical drawing”, 1608, ink on paper, Thierry Mariage, The World of Andre Le Notre, (Philadelphia: Univesity of Pennsylvania Press, 1999), 61

13. Dezallier d’Argenville, “parterre design”, 1747, ink on paper,Thierry Mariage, The World of Andre Le Notre, (Philadelphia: Univesity of Pennsylvania Press, 1999), 61

5 In order to maintain the forms found in the gardens of Courances, such as the topiary and embroidered parterres, mass amounts of labour would be required. Garden design and maintenance was therefore a privilege reserved for the rich.

Fig. 6: Boxwood Topiary14

The long, tree-lined boulevards of Courances and other French Geometric Gardens are elements now found in the streets of contemporary cities. These gardens’ prevailing influence is evident, and they continue to incite a sense of awe due to their extravagance and grandeur.

Fig. 7: London Plane Trees form grand avenue: aesthetic ideas that would later be incorporated into urban street design the world over15,16 It can be argued that the Renaissance and Picturesque Gardens (explored in Chapter 3) are not so dissimilar. The tensions between the French and the English during this period suggest that in both cases the Garden served as a patriotic symbol: a demonstration of the success of each nation’s advancements in technology. Thus, the manipulation of nature becomes an assertion of power.

14. Thomas Dupaigne, “topiary”, n.d., digital photograph, http://photosdejardins.com/reportages/parc-de-courances/ 15. Thomas Dupaigne, “London Plane trees”, n.d., digital photograph, http://photosdejardins.com/reportages/parc-de-courances/ 16. Saniga, “French Renaissance” 17. Thomas Dupaigne, “sculpture fountain”, n.d., digital photograph, http://photosdejardins.com/reportages/parc-de-courances/

Fig. 8: Sculpture and water intigrated to emphasise art and engineering17

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Chapter 3

Rousham

Romanticism in the Landscape

Line of Beauty expressed in nature through sinuous curve of river, repeated as a motif in the lines that define the paths traversing the site.

Oxfordshire, England

Landscape Designer: William Kent (1685-1748)1 William Kent (1685-1748)1. one of the most influential garden designers in English history, designed Rousham in the 1730’s2 in the style that would later come to be known as the Picturesque. In contrast to the strict axialities of the French Geometric Gardens, Kent’s designs became part of a politically- and ideoligically-driven national push towards an idealised landscape which captured the beauty of England’s own countryside.3

clumps of trees appear more ‘natural’

Although designed to appear in harmony with the existing site, through a sensitive response to the ‘genius of the place’4, the garden is still highly formalised: with strict pathways that define the prescribed navigation.

Fig. 2: William Hogarth’s ‘Line of beauty’ (number 4), considered to be understood by the eye as the most intuatively natural shape.8,9

“All gardening is landscape painting” William Kent10

Fig. 1: Plan of Rousham5

Rousham in context:6 14-17th C

17th C

Renaissance

Baroque

1600-1682 Claude Lorraine (key landscape painter)7

1685 William Kent born

Susan Weber, William Kent : designing Georgian Britain. (New Haven : Yale University Press, 2013), 1 David R. Coffin, “The Elysian Fields of Rousham.” Proceedings of the American Philosophical Society 130, no. 4 (1986): 406-23.

3.

Joan Clifford, Capability Brown (Aylesbury: Shire Publications, 1974), 9.

4.

John Dixon Hunt, and Peter, Ph. D. Willis. The Genius of the place : the English landscape garden, 1620-1820. (London : Elek, 1975), i 5.

“Why is Rousham England’s most influential garden?”, Gardens Illustrated, accessed October 2016 from http://www.gardenvisit.com/biography/william_ kent, image 5.1

1738

Estimated year for William Kent’s employment at Rousham

18th C Gardenesque

Tom Turner, Garden History (London, Routledge, 2005), 142 “Claude Lorrain - The Complete Works”. Claudelorrain.Org, accessed October 2016 from http://www.claudelorrain.org/.

8.

Unknown, “Hogarth’s Line of Beauty”, in Pictorial Composition and the Critical Judgment of Pictures, Henri Rankin Poore (ebook: Project Guttenburg, n.d.), 124 9.

Ian H. Thompson, Ecology, Community, and Delight (London: E & FN Spon, 2000), 24 10.

“Why is Rousham England’s most influential garden?”, Gardens Illustrated, accessed October 2016 from http://www.gardenvisit.com/biography/william_kent

1.

6.

2.

7.

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Fig. 3: Charles Bridgman’s ha-ha complimented Kent’s later designs that worked to create gentle uninterupted sight-lines.11,12

Fig. 4: Human labour13 Whilst Rousham’s gardens appeared to have emerged straight from the site, they would have required large-scale human labour to make the trees appear as if they had existed in the landscape for years.

Fig. 5: The Ha-ha14 A technique employed in the Picturesque gardeners to create what appears to be a seemless continuation of lawn, but in fact hides an enclosure for animals.

“Why is Rousham England’s most influential garden?”, Gardens Illustrated, accessed October 2016 from http://www.gardenvisit.com/biography/william_kent, image 5.2 “Why is Rousham England’s most influential garden?”, Gardens Illustrated, accessed October 2016 from http://www.gardenvisit.com/biography/william_kent 13.

Untitled, Jane Austen’s World, accessed October 2016 from https://janeaustensworld.wordpress.com/tag/lancelot-capability-brown/, image 8 14.

“Ha Ha - landscape humor”, Take 5, accessed October 2016 from https://takefive.me/2014/07/20/ha-ha-landscape-humor/, image 3 11.

12.

Fig. 6:15 Water an essential element in establishing a sense of natural ecology on site

. “Why is Rousham England’s most influential garden?”, Gardens Illustrated, accessed October 2016 from http://www.gardenvisit.com/biography/william_kent, image 5.3

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8 This period saw a philosophical shift in the public dialogue around garden design. Influence from writers such as Alexander Pope created a sense of romantacism around the landscape that strengthened the ties between the literary and landscape experiences.16

Fig. 7: Statue depicting mythical scene17

Views constructed to create a sense of foreground, middlegound, and hazy distant background, as influenced by landscape paintings.19

Fig. 8: View from within garden18

As influenced by the 16th century landscape paintings, follies were intigrated into the landscaping to evoke history and create a sense of drama20 Built forms in the garden saw the beginnings of Landscape Architecture as a profession.22

Fig. 9: Detail of a Claude Lorrain painting21 16.

Andrew Saniga, “Week Four: Picturesque Gardens” ABPL20039 History of Designed Landscapes (Melbourne, VIC: University of Melbourne, August 17, 2016), lecture 17.

JR P, “Statue”, 2011, digital photograph, source: Flickr, posted 2011, http://www.flickriver.com/photos/ugardener/sets/72157626831776709/ 18.

JR P. “Statue view”, 2011, digital photograph, source: Flickr, posted 2011, http://www.flickriver.com/photos/ugardener/sets/72157626831776709/

Drama created through framed views and follies

Fig.10: Follies romanticise history within the landscape.23 . Andrew Saniga, “Week Four: Picturesque Gardens” . Claude Lorrain, Landscape With The Rest On The Flight Into Egypt, 1666, oil on canvas: https://www.wikiart.org/en/claude-lorrain/landscape-with-therest-on-the-flight-into-egypt-1666 23.

JR P. “Follie”, 2011, digital photograph, source: Flickr, posted 2011, http://www.flickriver.com/photos/ugardener/sets/72157626831776709/ 19, 20, 22 21

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Chapter 4

Gabrielle Raz-Liebman 628119

The Royal Botanical Gardens Representing Landscapes on the New Continent

Fig 1: Fern Gully site plan8

These gardens were driven to success by the prolific William Guilfoyle (1840-1912), a landscape gardener who was appointed curator of the RBG in 1873.1 His passion for exotic plant species can be attributed to his upbringing, having been surrounded by the plants of his father’s nursery, as well as his travels later in life throughout Australia and to the tropical islands of the South Pacific.2

Stream is central to the design layout of Fern Gully and forms the connecting feature between the four sections

Fern Gully Original design concept: Ferdinand von Mueller and William Guilfoyle3 Restoration work: Andrew Laidlaw4

Timeline7

1850s First plantings by Ferdinand von Mueller.

1873 Guilfoyle becomes director

Exotic plants imported from Victoria and QLD

Minor path system installed

1981 Grey Headed Flying Foxes present in small numbers

1994 Misting and irrigation system installed

2003 Grey Headed Flying Fox relocation program undertaken

2015 Donations allow for the Fern Gully Restoration project to begin.

Stage One completed.

Royal Botanical Gardens Victoria, "Plant Collections: Fern Gully" “Australian Climate Zones,” Yourhome.gov.au, n.d. Accessed September, 2016 from http://www.yourhome.gov.au/introduction/australian-climate-zones 7 Royal Botanical Gardens Victoria, "Plant Collections: Fern Gully" 8 Andrew Laidlaw, Fern Gully Project [plan], April 2015, ink on paper.

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5

2

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Stuart Read, “Before Victoria: William Guilfoyle in New South Wales.” Australian Garden History 24 (2012): 4-5 Andrew Saniga, “Colonial Landscapes”. ABPL20039: History of Designed Landscapes (Melbourne, Vic: University of Melbourne, August 31, 2016). Vodcast.

3 "Plant Collections: Fern Gully," Royal Botanical Gardens Victoria, n.d., https://www.rbg.vic.gov.au/visit-melbourne/attractions/plant-collections/fern-gully 4 “Fern Gully Restoration Project,” Royal Botanical Gardens Victoria, n.d., accessed September, 2016 fromhttps://www.rbg.vic.gov.au/fern-gully-restoration-project

Von Mueller and Guilfoyle completely revegetated this site to recreate the untouched indigenous landscape of Northern NSW,5 albeit exotic in Melbourne’s temperate climate.6

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Livistona australis ‘Cabbage Fan Palm’

Trachycarpus forunei - ‘Chinese Windmill Palm’

Dicksonia antarctica - ‘Soft Fern Tree’ bamboo Asplenium australasicum - ‘birds nest fern’

Fig. 3: Elevation of Fern Gully9,10

Andrew Laidlaw, Fern Gully Project [Elevation], April 2015, ink on paper.

“Living Collection Census”, Royal Botanical Garden Victoria, 19 September 2016. Accessed September, 2016 from http://data.rbg.vic.gov.au/ rbgcensus/census/search?location=Melbourne&bed=Fern+Gully&order_results=bed&rows=100&start=1200

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Fig. 2: Ancient ferns

Aspidistra elatior

Cyathea australis ‘Rough Fern Tree’

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Guilfoyle’s Volcano Original Concept: William Guilfoyle Landscape Architect: Andrew Laidlaw11 Chronic water shortages in 1876 saw the creation of a reservoir, which Guilfoyle transformed into a styalised interpretation of a volcano inspired by his visit to Vanuatu.12 Whilst the plants used aren’t native to Vantuatu, they styalistically complement the stark contemparary landscape.

During the 19th century, colonial Australia was just beginning to develop and access to the continent was difficult, meaning that the sourcing of exotic plants was reserved for those with the means to import them, thus enhancing their value and desirability.

Loudon’s Gardenesque style was therefore greately suited to the design trend of the period, as it allowed for the exhibition and celebration of exotic species (see Figure 7).13

Fig. 5: Plan emphasising water crater and ‘lava’ flow15

resevoir

Moreton Bay Fig

Fig. 4: Angular plants compliment stark contemporary landscape14

Fern Gully

Guilfoyle’s Volcano Yucca Draco

- Naturalistic

- Styalised

- Ecological

- Contrived

- Sense of isolation/solitude

- Gardenesque

Disconnection from city-scape and reconnection to nature landscape

Humanistic - exhibiting power of human engineering through views of surrounding cityscape and government house17

Use of water - preservation of existing stream Experience: meandering and meditive. Can only hear the bubbling of the stream and singing of birds. Moderated sub-tropical micro-climate maintains comfortable temperature allowing visitors to pass extended amounts of time in the space.16

Cleistocactus strausii ‘Silver Torch Cactus’

Aeonium arboreum ‘black rose’

styalised lava

Use of water - artificial, engineered Experience: A strictly defined path guides the visitor in a circumambulation of the “crater’s” perimeter. Focus is on the curated spectacle of low-water use plants,18 rather than an immersive landscape experience.

Fig. 6: Dense canopy in Fern Gully makes visitor forget they are in the city

“Andrew Laidlaw”, laidlawlandscapes.com, n.d. http://www.laidlawlandscape.com/people.html “Landscapes in Time [ipad tour],” Andrew Saniga, n.d. Accessed September, 2016 from http://landscapes.314.net.au/stop.html#5 13 Andrew Saniga, “Colonial Landscapes”. ABPL20039: History of Designed Landscapes (Melbourne, Vic: University of Melbourne, August 31, 2016). Vodcast.

14 Unknown, Aenoium Black Rose, n.d., digital photograph, http://www.pikenursery.com/wp/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/Aeonium-Black-Rose.jpg

Fig. 7: Gardenesque style plant curation

Andrew Laidlaw, Guilfoyle’s Volcano [plan], n.d., ink on paper. https://i0.wp.com/i710.photobucket.com/albums/ww109/volcanism2/misc/RBGM_Volcano.jpg Royal Botanical Gardens Victoria, "Plant Collections: Fern Gully" 17 “Landscapes in Time [ipad tour],” Andrew Saniga, n.d. Accessed September, 2016 from http://landscapes.314.net.au/stop.html#5 18 “Guilfoyle’s Volcano”, Royal Botanical Gardens Victoria, n.d. Accessed September, 2016 from https://www.rbg.vic.gov.au/visit-melbourne/attractions/guilfoyles-volcano

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Chapter 5

Odette Monteiro Residence (1946)

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Landscape as Artistic Expression

Between the striking peaks of the Serra do Orgaos mountain range in Petropolis, Brazil lies the Odette Monteiro Residence, designed by Artist and Landscape Architect Roberto Burle Marx (1909-94)1 in his celebrated painterly style. Burle Marx’s landscapes celebrate the diverse range of flora in Brazil and have become an important symbol within a country that was working to define itself.

plan appears as a work of art in itself

paths direct visitor

Influenced by his background as a painter, Burle Marx’s landscape work was also highly expressive.

As shown in this plan, Burle Marx used the ground as if it were a canvas, and plants as if they were pigments.2

Biomorphism Burle Marx was renowned for his use of biomorphic shapes: abstractions of geometry and imagery observed in nature.3 Through Biomorphism, the forms of nature are altered in order to heighten the observer’s experience of it, drawing their attention to details and creating a sense of appreciation they may have otherwise taken for granted.4 Fig. 1: Plan by Roberto Burle Marx5

1. Alexandre Hepner and Silvio Soares Macedo. 2016. “Landscaping Brazil: the legacy of Roberto Burle Marx.” Architectural Design 86, no. 2: 118-125.

2. Marta Montero, Burle Marx : the lyrical landscape (Berkeley: University of California Press, 2001). 40 3. Andrew Saniga, “Modern Landscapes”, ABPL20039: History of Designed Landscapes (Melbourne, VIC: University of Melbourne, October 14, 2016), lecture 4. Marc Treib, “The Landscapes of Isamu Noguchi”. (Melbourne, VIC: Univerity of Melbourne, October 14, 2016), lecture.

5. Roberto Burle Marx, “Site Plan”, n.d., medium unknown. Source: Marta Montero, Burle Marx : the lyrical landscape (Berkeley: University of California Press, 2001). 40

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Serra do Orgaos

Lake unifies the garden and mountain ranges through form and reflectivity

Fig. 3: Agave Wekeii planted in clumps with Agave attenuata10

Fig. 4: Bougainvilleas planted alongside azaleas (right) and others of a similar palette. Used to reflect the colours found in the house around which they are planted.11,12

Clumps of vegetation and herbaceous borders echo the undulating form of the hills and mountains.7 Fig. 2: View within garden across lake6

Distortion

Landscape is deceptive: lack of objects within site distort the viewer’s sense of scale.8 This reflects Surrealist aesthetic ideas, influenced by Burle Marx’s background as a painter9

6. Marta Montero, untitled, 2001. photograph. Source: Marta Montero, Burle Marx : the lyrical landscape (Berkeley: University of California Press, 2001). 143 7. Montero, Burle Marx : the lyrical landscape, 143 8. Montero, Burle Marx : the lyrical landscape, 144 9. Andrew Saniga, “Modern Landscapes”, lecture

Similar to the specimen style planting of the Gardenesque, a diverse range of plants are curated for the sake of celebration, as well as to create forms viewed as objects unto themselves.

diverse plants celebrate Brazil’s colourful ecology

The Renaissance and Picturesque styles were both forms of patriotic expression during a politically heated era. In the modern context, Roberto Burle Marx uses his colourful artistic expression in a similar way in order to articulate a form of national pride for the Brazilian people, creating gardens that enhance the existing landscapes and celebrate diversity.

Fig. 5: Azaleas13

10. Marta Montero, untitled, 2001. photograph. Source: Marta Montero, Burle Marx : the lyrical landscape (Berkeley: University of California Press, 2001). 143 11. Unknown, “Bougainvillea”, n.d. photograph. Source: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/f7/Bougainvillea_Flower.jpg 12. Montero, Burle Marx : the lyrical landscape, 144 13. Unknown, “Azaleas”, n.d. photograph. Source: http://www.flowersgallery.net/gallery/azalea/azalea-2.jpg

word count: ~1523