Contemporary European Garden

Author: [German] Udo Weilacher
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2006-06-01
Features: The charm and value of contemporary gardens lie in their focus on the environment they are designed for, and in providing confident, holistic solutions. A garden is not merely a combination of its parts—whether these are the arrangement of trees, pyramids of grass, corners of buildings, or artistic layouts—it is also a design scheme that can be vibrant and full of vitality. From this perspective, a garden can be many things: a narrow strip of land in front of an urban commercial building, a vast expanse of land in the Scottish Highlands, or a non-monumental form that uses dark plants or historical landscapes to showcase events. In his travels across Europe, covering 27 chapters, one chapter is dedicated to his trip to India, where the author reflects on the gardens he has visited. The starting point and basis for these travels and descriptions are the monthly publications of the Neue Zürcher Zeitung, NZZ Folio magazine, with many articles published for the first time. With the eyes of a landscape architect, Udo and Rita Weilacher have captured parks and gardens designed not only by students and faculty from their academy but also by architects and artists. The emergence of these impressionistic and moving images of modern garden art, with personal perspectives yet conveying a wealth of professional experience.