Bilbao Jardín Garden

A wonderful addition to the International Urban Garden Competition “Bilbao Jardín 2009”, by Diana Balmori of New York-based Balmori Associates and a design that literally 'climbs the stairs' with a undulating vegetated strip and cor-ten walls splaying out in a wider planter at the lowest landing.


:: image via Bustler - Photo: Iwan Baan

Some of the designers explanatory text, via Bustler: "The garden climbs the stairs, running in undulating lines of different textures and colors. Envisioned as a dynamic urban space; it moves in time and with the seasons. Its lush planting cascades down as though the garden was flowing or melting, bleeding the colors into each other. In one gesture, it narrates a story of landscape taking over and expanding over the Public Space and Architecture, therefore transforming the way that the stairs and the space is perceived and read by the user. It is a garden of contrasts: the contrast between native and exotic plants, between the red flowers and the green grass, between the green grass and the grey paving. In form, the garden engages the horizontal plaza with the rising vertical plane of the steps and the upright gesture of Eduardo Chillida’s sculpture. Like the famous Spanish Steps in Rome, the garden is not only designed for visitors to ascend and descend, but for them to linger, and just be."


:: images via Bustler - Photo: Iwan Baan

It's an elegantly simple composition, and definitely takes advantage of the 'topography' of the stairway and foreshortening perspectives utilized to create a constantly changing perspective of vegetation in a somewhat grand, but otherwise barren staircase area left between the architectural objects. Check out more images including construction photos on Bustler.




:: images via Bustler - Photo: Iwan Baan

DailyLand: Pier 57

This project has been around the blogs lately, and it's an interesting meshing of site and architecture - driven by the unique opportunity of creating space atop a pier in New York City. Via Bustler, the team includes LOT-EK, with developer Young Woo & Associates The project "...foresees a rooftop park crowning a small shopping center of local artisan stores built with recycled shipping containers."




:: images via Bustler

Luckily, World Landscape Architect came through and mentioned that West 8 is also on the team providing design of the public spaces... a fact overlooked by much of the press.




:: images via Bustler

More info at World Landscape Architect, Arch Daily, Inhabitat

New Light on No Man's Land

Joyce van den Berg, a Dutch landscape architect, has some interesting plans to memorialize the thin strip of land that divided East and West Germany. From Spiegel Online: "The "death strip" or No Man's Land was the ground between the two Germanys. In the inner city the border consisted of an actual concrete wall, the one most commonly recognized as the Berlin Wall, but around the outer edges of the city the border was marked mainly by fences, watch towers and an empty strip of "No Man's Land." There are around 155 kilometers (96 miles) of the former border strip measuring between 20 meters and 2.5 kilometers in diameter."


:: image via Speigel Online

More: "Van den Berg, who carefully researched exactly where the former border used to be, also has some ideas for the man-made remnants at the former border. At one stage there were 302 watch towers on the border; today only five still exist. Van den Berg would like to see the five remaining towers, and any others that can be resurrected, turned into small, secret gardens. Unusual plants could be nurtured inside, protected from the wind and elements and onlookers wouldn't even realize the watch towers were there until they came closer, she says."


:: image via Speigel Online

The idea of restoration is essential to the scheme: "Her plan would see the barren strips of sand moved at regular intervals in order to encourage new plant life to take root as well as the ongoing formation of the "mega-dunes" that are already evolving naturally in the German woods."

Equally compelling are the graphics depicting some of this process landscape of revitalizing the sandy substrate.






:: images via Speigel Online

More: "Van den Berg also has a cunning scheme to mark the hidden escape tunnels that once led from east to west. These are considered some of the meaningful remnants of the former border area because if the tunnels, constructed at great risk to the tunnellers, were discovered it would often mean a shift in the border on the East German side, sometimes even the demolition of entire buildings or blocks. To mark where the tunnels were, van den Berg suggest beams of light be shone from the West toward the East, commemorating both the tunnels and all those who tried to use them."


:: images via Speigel Online

DailyLand: Rapid Palace

Location: Gothenburg, Sweden
by Visiondivision

Okay, I'm a sucker for interesting landscape graphics... and these are pretty cool. Some definitely questions about the viability of this for security and safety... but pffft... how can you argue with the graphic magical realism of these images.






:: images via Arch Daily

DailyLand: Almere Hout Noord

Almere Hout Noord Competition
West 8 ; Mecanoo Architecten
> info via Land8Lounge; World Landscape Architect

"...a socially sustainable residential and office neighborhood, promoting small-scale networks of the different residents."






:: images via Land8Lounge

DailyLand: Pinar del Perruquet Park

Pinar del Perruquet Park
Tarragona, Spain 2008
Artek Arquitectura






:: images via Vulgare

DailyLand: Imperial War Museum North Exterior

Imperial War Museum North Exterior
Manchester, UK
Topotek 1
> more via Bustler


:: image via Bustler

From the description: "The camouflage patterns used by the military are an abstraction of landscapes of combat. These patterns represent a visual average of the natural environment: the muted green, brown, and ocher hues of typical camouflage are a graphic summary of wild and cultivated places. We wish to confront the global scale of war represented by the building with the local scale where battles are fought. War does not only re-configure lines on a world map, but changes everyday landscapes.

We have selected four themes that represent the British landscape: stone, fields, water, and forest. Like the camouflage pattern, these landscapes are condensed into their essential character, and reconfigured in a system of gently tilting planes. This system provides a soft, horizontal, and continuous base for the museum; subtle shifts in elevation and angle accommodate a variety of programs in a relatively small area. The landscape forms a collage of dignified spaces for reflection, gathering, and play that complements the gravity of the museum’s content.”

:: images via Bustler

DailyLand: INNENHÖFE MAX BILL PLATZ

INNENHÖFE MAX BILL PLATZ

asp landschaftsarchitekten

> info via Vulgare

:: images via Vulgare

A paving pattern perhaps only Q*Bert could love...

:: image via Wikipedia

DailyLand: Sensational Park

Sensational Park - Nabito Architects

Frosinone, Italy

> info via Arch Daily, Inspiration Wall

"The five human senses are the main theme of the space in which materials and vegetation are related to them. The equipped green area and urban garden is due to be completed this month."

:: images via Arch Daily

DailyLand: Flowing Garden

Flowing Garden: Xi'an World Horticultural Expo
Plasma Studio
> more at Arch Daily, Bustler, SpaceInvading, Inhabitat




:: images via Arch Daily

Some description: "Although the buildings are experienced as individual elements, they are connected through the relationship they each have with the landscape. The buildings are specifically situated into the site at certain points to illustrate specific qualities of the dynamic landscape. One enters the site along the major axis of the gardens through the gate building which creates a public meeting space and frames views of the gardens. The exhibition center seems to extend past the landscape to showcase the lake and the views of the South Hill. The greenhouse, at the peak of the hill, connects various landscape features due to its central location."




:: images via Bustler

DailyLand: Secret Landscape Garden

An interesting visual exploration of space in this competition entry. I'm interested in what readers think about the success of this story/illustration (with a book illustrator) in telling this particular tale. Personally, aside from the plan graphic, I'm not feeling it and find it distracting from the overall concept, but that's the beauty of expression - it's all in the interpretation.

Secret Landscape Garden Studio Weave, MESH Partnership
Blackburn Town Center
> Read the full story and see all of the images at Bustler


:: image via Bustler

An excerpt: "The landscape doesn’t profess to be a slice of natural countryside but grows out from the urban fabric taking in rationalized traffic and accommodating level changes and desire lines, all the while delicately framing views of Blackburn landmarks side by side with new follies. We designed the landscape by exploring the adventure of a boy who finds a mirror on the floor of the shopping centre. The mirror is based on the “Claude Glass,” an 18th century pocket mirror used by artists and tourists to capture picturesque views. In the mirror, the boy sees a secret landscape garden where the trees are enjoying their own versions of various playground games."






:: all images via Bustler

DailyLand: Crack Garden

Crack Garden CMG Landscape Architecture

> See and read more at Pruned and Inhabitat

> 2009 ASLA Honor Award Winner - Residential Design

:: image via Pruned

:: image via Inhabitat

Text excerpt from ASLA: "The Crack Garden is an exploration of the identity of site and the clarity of intervention. Pre-existing places have an inherent identity that is based on their history, materiality, and activities. The design is conceived as an intervention that functions as a lens, altering perception of a place rather than completely remaking it. The intervention can reveal the physical and material qualities of the place, and/or become a catalyst to incite new program activities. In the case of The Crack Garden, completely remaking the garden was highly unlikely because of the tiny budget. By fully embracing a strategy of design as intervention, the garden relies on its previous identity as much as it does on the changes that were imposed. "

DailyLand: Taekwondo Park

I'm going to reimplement, now that there's some space with the Veg.itectural sidebar, the idea of DailyLand... as it's something that I think has been lacking in the L+U content. These will be simple posts on an almost daily basis with a link to more information from outside and a couple of pics. The aim is to feature some of the preponderance of great work being produced, and the great sites out there covering these amazing projects, well... pretty much daily.

Taekwondo Park Master Plan Weiss/Manfredi
> See and read more at Bustler




:: images via Bustler

DailyLand: June Callwood Park

Bustler recently announced the winning entry the international design competition to provide a vision for Toronto’s June Callwood Park. The competition was won by Toronto-based architecture and landscape design firm gh3 for their ethereal design that mixes forms of bands, waves and groves together in their entry for the 'Super Real Forest' - patterning light through canopies, mist, and glowing nighttime seating.

:: images via Bustler

Oh and pink... did I mention the pink? From Bustler: "...the Pink Field, the largest of the Super-Real Forest’s five clearings. Surfaced with pink elastocrete, its smooth, rubberized texture welcomes barefoot play in the summer. It is home to a range of year round activity: Frisbee, ball games, skipping, tag in the summer; snowball fights, snowmen, and snow angels in the winter."

:: images via Bustler

Some additional images of the renderings, which are pretty stunning.

:: images via Bustler

gh3 was selected as the winner from amongst notable finalists including: Balmori & Associates and dTAH, Janet Rosenberg & Associates, and PMA Landscape Architects and Ground. Check out the full entry, descriptions and more images on Bustler.