Harvard Design School To Examine European Landscape Architecture

Published April 11, 2001

Paris, France. Parc de Bercy, Bernard Huet, et. al.
Photo: Joseph Disponzio

CAMBRIDGE, Mass. - The rich history, traditions, and geographic, social and cultural diversity of Europe has produced a staggeringly broad field of landscape practices across the continent. At the dawn of a new century, as vastly diverse countries organize into a formalized union, the Department of Landscape Architecture at the Harvard University Graduate School of Design will present an in-depth study of European landscape practices in an upcoming exhibition and conference titled "Territories: Contemporary European Landscape Design." From private gardens and renowned city parks, to highway rest areas, reclaimed industrial wastelands and Cold War military sites, the exhibition and conference will cover the breadth and complexity of landscape architecture across Europe in a format designed to engage the design professional, the academic community and the general public.

The exhibition, April 19 to May 24, 2001, and accompanying conference April 19 to 21, will explore current trends, philosophies, strategies and completed works of landscape architecture, introducing an American audience to the range and accomplishment of contemporary European landscape design. The exhibition will feature plans, photographs and models of work never before exhibited in the United States and will provide a basis for examining the impact of the blurring of geo-political boundaries on landscape practice.

"As the Old World reconfigures into a new, unified European Union, landscape designers are bridging borders and introducing new styles and techniques, challenging traditional approaches to landscape architecture," said Joseph Disponzio, assistant professor of Landscape Architecture at the Harvard Design School and curator of the exhibition. "This is a highly dynamic period in European landscape practice, and in our increasingly global world, it is particularly important to explore the range of projects being done and the methodology behind them with an American audience."

Seine-Saint-Denis, France. Parc departmental du Sausset. Michel Corajaud, landscape architect.
Photo: Joseph Disponzio

THE EXHIBITION. Through drawings, plans, models and photography, the exhibition will showcase examples of ecologically-sensitive designs, urban infrastructure improvements, coastal designs, transportation projects, reclaimed brownfield sites, landscape projects that stimulate urban redevelopment, and natural and cultural landscape projects, such as national parks and historic monuments.

The exhibition will focus on the countries and their respective practitioners - namely France, Germany and the Netherlands - that have demonstrated particular depth, innovation and leadership in the field. It will also include examples from Scandinavia, Spain, England and Portugal. The exhibition will be devoted exclusively to the work of landscape architects currently living and working in Europe and will bring drawings and models of certain projects to the U.S. for the first time. The Parc du Sausset near Paris, Schgouwburgplein in Rotterdam, Duisburg Nord Landscape Park in Emscher, Germany, and Santo Domingo de Bonaval in Spain will be among the projects on view.

The exhibition is free to the public and will take place at the Harvard Design School, Gund Hall, 48 Quincy Street, Cambridge, Mass.

Duisburg, Germany. Landscape Park Duisburg Nord. Peter Latz, landscape architect.
Photo: Joseph Disponzio

THE CONFERENCE. "Territories: Contemporary European Landscape Architecture" will focus on current thinking in European landscape design, bringing together practitioners, critics and scholars in the field. The symposium is open to professionals, academics and interested members of the public. Speakers and panelists will deliver papers and present projects illustrating current issues in European landscape design. Themes to be discussed include the question of a European landscape, green urbanism, the artificial landscape and the garden as a repository for culture and innovation. Participants include speakers from France, The Netherlands, Germany, and Denmark and Spain.

The conference is being organized by Dorothée Imbert, assistant professor of Landscape Architecture at the Harvard Design School, with assistance form Sébastien Marot, editor of the French review Le Visiteur and professor of design theory in France, who is also assisting with the exhibition.

ABOUT THE HARVARD DESIGN SCHOOL. The Harvard Design School provides education, information, research and technical expertise on architecture and the built environment. Its graduate programs provide masters and doctoral degree programs in three integrated departments: architecture, landscape architecture, and urban planning and design.

For more information about the exhibition call 617/495-4784; for more information about the conference call 617/495-0647; or visit the Harvard Design School Web site at www.gsd.harvard.edu.

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