piet oudolf | landscape architecture and design news and projects

calder gardens: take a first look at herzog & de meuron and piet oudolf’s philadelphia oasis

kat barandy I designboom — Mon, 15 Sep 2025 14:01:59 +0000

Calder Gardens Opens as a Living Museum in Philadelphia

On September 21st, 2025, Philadelphia will see the opening of Calder Gardens, a new park and museum shaped by Herzog & de Meuron and Piet Oudolf. Rather than presenting a monumental museum, the project frames Alexander Calder’s work within a lush, layered landscape that gradually reveals its structure and galleries as visitors move inward from the city. The project occupies a city rich with the Calder family’s history. Alexander Calder’s grandfather and father both left their mark on Philadelphia, and works by all three generations line the Parkway.

From the Parkway, a long tapered metal wall forms an austere backdrop to the meadowed garden, softening the sound of nearby traffic and leading to a wood-lined entry beneath a folded metal canopy. The architecture remains deliberately understated. A circular disc at the center creates a plaza and conceals the main galleries below ground, while two sunken gardens — one perfectly round, the other irregular — bring daylight into the galleries and offer distinct settings for Calder’s sculpture.

Today, September 15th, designboom visited Calder Gardens ahead of its public opening to experience Piet Oudolf’s meadows in dialogue with Herzog & de Meuron’s architecture in-person — stay tuned for updates!

subdued architecture by herzog & de meuron

Inside, visitors to Philadelphia’s Calder Gardens descend from a modest lobby to a series of Herzog & de Meuron-designed galleries that vary in light and proportion. The ‘Highway Gallery’ offers a view of Calder mobiles from a mezzanine, while the ‘Open Plan Gallery,’ set beneath the central disc, receives natural light and frames views of the Vestige Garden. Smaller spaces such as the Apse and Curve galleries provide intimate settings for works on paper and light-sensitive sculptures. The architects plan each room to encourage a slow, careful encounter with Calder’s art.

Jason Frantzen, senior partner at Herzog & de Meuron, describes the project as ‘both an actual and a conceptual garden,’ designed in close collaboration with the Calder Foundation and the Barnes Foundation to honor Calder’s legacy while creating ‘a space for all Philadelphians and visitors alike to discover Calder’s work again and again.’

lush landscape design by piet oudolf

Piet Oudolf’s 1.8-acre landscape surrounds and threads through the architecture throughout Calder Gardens, transforming a once-overlooked site in Philadelphia into a shifting, four-season meadow. More than 250 plant varieties — grasses, perennials, and woodland species — form a living composition that changes with weather and time. Paths curve through woodlands, perennial meadows, and tall borders, drawing visitors toward the central disc and framing new views at every step.

From the West Woodland Garden’s young oaks to the late-summer prairie grasses that sway near the building’s edge, the landscape designer’s planting encourages a pace that’s slow and contemplative. The sunken Vestige and Sunken gardens, visible from the main galleries, are a living hybrid of art and landscape. As Oudolf notes, ‘Gardens are for everyone.’

project info:

name: Calder Gardens | @caldergardens

architect: Herzog & de Meuron | @herzogdemeuron

landscape designer: Piet Oudolf | @pietoudolf

location: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

client: Calder Foundation| @calderfoundation

opening: September 21st, 2025

previous coverage: September 2022, January 2025

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herzog & de meuron-designed calder gardens announces september 2025 opening

myrto katsikopoulou I designboom — Mon, 20 Jan 2025 10:50:53 +0000

Calder Gardens to open in September 2025

Calder Gardens, the new cultural destination designed by Herzog and de Meuron and Dutch landscape designer Piet Oudolf (see designboom’s previous coverage here), has announced its opening date in September 2025. Located on the Benjamin Franklin Parkway in downtown Philadelphia, the gallery space is set to showcase the art and ideas of Alexander Calder, one of the 20th century’s most influential artists and a Philadelphia native. The institute has also appointed Juana Berrío as the Marsha Perelman Senior Director of Programs. A seasoned curator, educator, and arts programmer, Berrío will lead public programming that connects audiences to Calder’s work through performances, events, and wellness activities, fostering engagement and community in this innovative blend of art, nature, and architecture.

all images courtesy of Calder Gardens

Juana Berrío Curates Inclusive Programming at Calder Gardens

Beginning her role on January 21st, 2025, Juana Berrío will draw on her extensive background in curatorial practice and arts programming to shape new public engagement initiatives for this new Philadelphia-based institution. With experience at leading institutions such as the Whitney Museum of American Art, SFMOMA, and the Walker Art Center, as well as her work as cofounder of San Francisco’s Kiria Koula, Berrío has developed a reputation for creating dynamic, community-focused cultural experiences. Her diverse expertise, spanning education, research, and sustainability, positions her to craft programs that reflect the spirit of Calder’s art while fostering inclusivity and connection.

‘Calder Gardens is an entirely new type of cultural institution focused on nurturing introspection and personal growth through the art and ideas of my grandfather—one of the most influential artists of the modern era. Juana Berrío’s expertise and wide-ranging interdisciplinary experience—shaped by openness, compassion, and curiosity—
make her ideal for this essential role at Calder Gardens. We look forward to being inspired by her dynamic, unexpected programming,’ says Alexander S. C. Rower, President of the Calder Foundation, Chair of the Calder Gardens Curatorial Committee, and Calder’s grandson.

‘I am thrilled to join Calder Gardens, a unique space that integrates art, architecture, and nature to invite self-reflection,’ shares Juana Berrío. ‘I look forward to working with the team to design rich cross-pollinations between artistic and nonartistic practices, with diverse communities, and between humans, flora, and fauna. Calder’s own passion for interdisciplinary collaborations and experimentation at large provides a perfect context for Calder Gardens to become one of the most innovative and forward-thinking spaces for art and culture today.’

project info:

name: Calder Gardens

architect: Herzog & de Meuron | @herzogdemeuron

landscape designer: Piet Oudolf | @pietoudolf

location: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

client: Calder Foundation| @calderfoundation
opening: September 2025

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MVRDV completes the valley, a trio of ‘crumbling’ towers in amsterdam

kat barandy I designboom — Tue, 20 Sep 2022 06:45:39 +0000

the ‘valley’ unveiled in zuidas

MVRDV takes to Amsterdam‘s Zuidas neighborhood, building its Valley complex comprising three geology-inspired towers. Covered in plant-life and shaped by dramatic, cantivering apartments, the three towers rise 67, 81, and 100 meters (220, 265, and 328 feet) over the city. Additionally programmed with workspaces, retail, and cultural spaces, the tower covers 75,000 square-meters. A ‘green valley’ winds among the three buildings, beginning along the fourth and fifth levels and accessible to all by way of two external stairs.

images © Ossip van Duivenbode | @ossipvanduivenbode

landscaped architecture by mvrdv and piet oudolf

The design team at MVRDV work with landscape architect Piet Oudolf to integrate the Valley’s extensive planting, which includes 13,500 young plants, shrubs, and trees. The team notes: ‘As these mature over the coming years, they will give Valley an increasingly green appearance, making the building a manifesto for a greener city.’ The project aims to return a ‘green and human dimension’ to the cold, office-centric neighborhood of Amsterdam Zuidas.

The Valley is crafted with multiple faces — the outer edges appear as a shell of smooth mirrored glass, integrating into the urban fabric of the business district. Within this shell, an entirely different atmosphere takes on a more inviting natural appearance, suggesting a block of glass which had ‘crumbled away to reveal craggy rock faces inside replete with natural stone and greenery.’

woven with publically accessible spaces

Sweeping views across the city can be captured from many spots throughout the MVRDV-designed Valley, from the 198 apartments — each with a unique floorplan — to the ‘skybar’ at the highest point. The layout of the project is designed to accomodate a mixture of different residents, workers, and visitors. The architects continue: ‘on top of the three-storey underground car park, offices occupy the lower seven floors, with apartments located on the eighth floor and up.

‘Much of the building is open to the public: from the publicly accessible footpath that zig-zags up to the central valley from the street level, to the Grotto, an atrium that forms a covered street on the first floor where the Sapiens Lab — a breeding ground for young scientists — will soon open.

‘The grotto is connected to the outside by two large skylights that double as shallow water pools in the valley level above, and its natural stone flooring, walls, and ceilings — the same stone used on the surfaces of the valley and towers — makes clear that all the public areas of the building are part of the same apparently geological formation.’

the meticulous, bespoke design

With an utterly bespoke design, MVRDV’s the Valley is fabricated with the use of custom digital tools. These include a tool designed to ensure each apartment receives sunlight and views, to a program that facilitates the ‘apparently random pattern of over 40,000 stone tiles of varying sizes that adorn the building’s façades.’

The unique floor plans of each unit are made possible by the interior designs by Heyligers Architects, while the extreme cantilevers are realized with innovative engineering methods including ‘eleven steel ‘specials’ bolted to the concrete building that take the overall appearance to the next level.’

project info:

project title: Valley

architecture: MVRDV | @mvrdv

location: The Netherlands

landscape design: Piet Oudolf | @pietoudolf

interior design: Heyligers Architects | @heyligersdesignprojects

photography: © Ossip van Duivenbode | @ossipvanduivenbode

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herzog & de meuron and piet oudolf unveil garden gallery for works of alexander calder

kat barandy I designboom — Wed, 07 Sep 2022 11:00:13 +0000

a gallery within an idyllic landscape

Herzog and de Meuron and landscape designer Piet Oudolf reveal the design of the Calder Gardens, an idyllic gallery space dedicated to the works of Alexander Calder. The project will be sited in downtown Philadelphia, the city in which three generations of Calders were born, all of them sculptors — the iconic bronze statue of William Penn which famously tops Philadelphia City Hall was created by the modern artist’s grandfather. Now, this newly unveiled gallery space will be dedicated to Alexander Calder, who is considered to be one of the most influential artists of the twentieth century. Calder Gardens is scheduled to open in 2024.

herzog & de meuron’s architecture in a piet oudolf garden

The galleries of Herzog and de Meuron’s Calder Gardens will be flooded with natural light, and will be immersed in a flowering landscape. A rotating selection of masterworks from New York’s Calder Foundation will be displayed, with pieces including mobiles, stabiles, monumental sculptures, and paintings. These pieces will be installed both indoors and outdoors, always in dialogue with the ever-changing seasons and the ‘living sculptures’ which are Piet Oudolf’s landscapes.

The team comments: ‘Calder Gardens will provide the public with a singular place for contemplation and reflection, as well as abundant opportunities for learning and community building through a schedule of inclusive public programs and special events.’

inspired by the forms, colors, and movement of calder’s art

Jacques Herzog comments on the design of the garden gallery: ‘Form, color, movement are the most obvious of many outstanding aspects in Calder’s Art. We wanted to therefore avoid rather than adopt the use of those as possible design elements when beginning to conceive an architecture for the presentation of his work.

‘Since the given site between the Vine Street and the Benjamin Franklin Parkway does not have much charm, we felt that plants and gardens could help transform it successfully and turn itself into an attractive place for the people of Philadelphia, rather than simply adding another museum building to the already impressive collection of museums which are lining up along Benjamin Franklin Parkway.’

The architect continues: ‘All of that strongly impacted our design – which was actually an open-ended process rather than a finished concept based on a fixed program. A kind of conceptual path which made us carve out the ground rather than build forms and volumes above — we were looking for space to present Calder’s work in a new and unprecedented way.

‘That space in the making eventually grew into a whole sequence of different galleries and also rather unexpected spaces, niches and gardens; such as the apse and the quasi- galleries or open plan gallery, the sunken or remnant gardens. And not only galleries in the classical sense, but every corner and angle, every stair and corridor should be offering itself up as a place to put art.’

the gallery and artworks will be ensconced in a flowing landscape

‘We could only do this through a close dialogue with a client who was asking for such a new type of place for being with art: an interplay between art, architecture and people — challenging but with rich potential for the curators to display Calder‘s incredibly multifaceted work in ever new and unexpected ways.’

the gallery will become a place for reflection, contemplation, and learning

Piet Oudolf writes: ‘I see my gardens as living sculptures where change is constant. The site is like a canvas to work on, and each plant has a personality that must work with the others. The composition of the garden is variable and will evolve through the seasons.

‘For Calder Gardens, the horticultural design must also serve the works of art. My hope is that people will take the time to stand still and think here, to fully experience these elements together and have an emotional reaction that stays with them long after their visit. It’s not about what you see, but what you sense.’

the Calder Gardens Board selected Herzog & de Meuron as design consultants in 2020

project info:

project title: Calder Gardens

architecture: Herzog & de Meuron | @herzogdemeuron

landscape designer: Piet Oudolf | @pietoudolf

location: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

client: Calder Foundation | @calderfoundation

executive architect: The Ballinger Company

landscape architect: Richard Herbert

total budget: $70 million (including endowment)

completion: expected 2024

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MVRDV-designed valley photographed near completion in amsterdam

tim spears I designboom — Thu, 23 Dec 2021 11:29:15 +0000

MVRDV’s valley in amsterdam photographed

carved into the zuidas district in amsterdam, the MVRDV-designed valley has been photographed near completion for the first time without scaffolding, since topping construction in late 2020. the mixed-use project, containing apartments, shops, offices and cultural institutes, is set for opening in 2022.

image © marcel steinbach, courtesy of MVRDV

designed by MVRDV for EDGE technologies, the valley is located in amsterdam’s zuidas business district. its form, totalling 75,000 sqm (807,300 sqf), is a manifestation of the contrast in this area: its corporate history and residential future. juxtapositions of glass and natural stone cladding accentuates this distinction.

image © marcel steinbach, courtesy of MVRDV

a valley of jagged stone, reflection and greenery

a landscape of jagged stone terraces, bay-windows and balconies for residences are clad in natural stone, with automatically hydrated planters of varying heights adding greenery to the façades. the form seems natural like a valley but parametric tools optimized the layout considering quantities of light and required privacy whilst understanding structural limitations. the result means no two of the near 200 apartments are alike; inhabitants have unique homes.

image © marcel steinbach, courtesy of MVRDV

consisting of three towers, the mixed-use project’s name is taken from the carved void at its center. the valley is lush with dense greenery designed by landscape architect piet oudolf. located at its fifth floor, the green park is accessible via two staircases winding upwards from the ground floor. a large interior hall, named the grotto, hosts the shops as well as offices. two skylights flood the space with natural light, appearing as if a pair of ponds in the valley above.

image © marcel steinbach, courtesy of MVRDV

project info:

project: valley

location: amsterdam, the netherlands
year: 2015+
size and program: 75,000 sqm, mixed-use, residential, offices, cultural, retail and parking
budget: undisclosed
design: MVRDV – winy maas, jacob van rijs and nathalie de vries
competition: winy maas with jeroen zuidgeest, anton wubben, luca moscelli, sanne van manen, elien deceuninck, marco gazzola, jack penford baker, brygida zawadzka, francis liesting, annette lam and hannah knudsen

design team: winy maas with jeroen zuidgeest, gijs rikken, gideon maasland, guido boeters, wietse elswijk, saimon gomez idiakez, rik lambers, javier lopez-menchero, sanne van manen, stephanie mcnamara, thijs van oostrum, frank smit, boudewijn thomas, maria vasiloglou and laurens veth

partners —
client: EDGE technologies, the netherlands
investor: RJB group of companies
contractor: G&S bouw B.V. and boele & van eesteren B.V.
landscape design: deltavorm groep & piet oudolf, utrecht, the netherlands
engineering: inbo, amsterdam, the netherlands
cost calculator: BBN adviseurs, houten, the netherlands
structural engineer: van rossum raadgevende ingenieurs, amsterdam, the netherlands
installations: deerns, the hague, the netherlands
building physics: DGMR, the hague, the netherlands
parametric façade design: arup, amsterdam, the netherlands
real estate consultant: CBRE, amsterdam, the netherlands and heeren makelaars, amsterdam, the netherlands
images: photos © marcel steinbach
diagrams and drawings: MVRDV
graphic design: plusone, amsterdam, the netherlands
model: made by mistake, rotterdam, the netherlands

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HAUSER & WIRTH transforms 18th-century naval hospital into art center in menorca

juliana neira I designboom — Thu, 22 Jul 2021 19:30:20 +0000

located in the port of mahon in menorca, HAUSER & WIRTH has opened its latest art center following a two-year conservation project by paris-based argentinian architect luis laplace, a long-standing collaborator of the gallery. the sensitive conservation project repurposed the existing 18th century outbuildings of a naval hospital in the natural setting of the illa del rei island, resulting in the 1,500 sqm kunsthalle. an exhibition by mark bradford has inaugurated the space with a dynamic suite of new paintings and sculptures.

elogio del vacío vi (2000) by eduardo chillida on hauser & wirth menorca. courtesy of the estate of eduardo chillida and hauser & wirth. © zabalaga leku. san sebastián, vegap, 2021. photography: daniel schäfer

‘for the past year it’s felt like we’re living on mars, masked up, suited up, six feet apart on ground that just won’t stop moving,’ said mark bradford. ‘eventually you’ve got to decide to move with it, to recognize that the unsteadiness is just a part of the course of history. I’m excited to share this new body of work, and look forward to steadier ground ahead.’

images by be creative, unless otherwise stated

the restoration project by luis laplace for HAUSER & WIRTH menorca placed importance on protecting the unique natural environment of its location. rain-water collection protocols, creation of a water plant to reuse water for ground irrigation, and energy-efficient climate control have been embedded into the building. flexibility and local architecture elements were also part of the design scheme, which saw laplace use skylights and windows to bring in light to the spacious galleries and frame the island and harbor views.

entrace to HAUSER & WIRTH menorca on isla del rey, featuring louise bourgeois, spider (1994). courtesy the easton foundation and hauser & wirth. photography: daniel schäfer

the project also features traditional building materials, such as tiled roof and terrazzo flooring made on site with local stones. the original wood beams have been restored, and wooden trusses added to support the structure. in total, HAUSER & WIRTH menorca comprises eight galleries, a gallery shop, and a ‘cantina’ restaurant.

to complement the architecture, the space is surrounded by an outdoor sculpture trail with works by louis bourgeois, eduardo chilled, franz west and others, which stand in dialogue with isla del rey’s wildlife and garden designed by influential landscape designer piet oudolf. carefully shaped alongside the gallery buildings, the garden is characterized by a focus on structure and species adapted to the mediterranean climate.

‘iwan, marc, and I are honored and excited that mark bradford’s exhibition will inaugurate HAUSER & WIRTH menorca,’ said manuela wirth. ‘our dream has been to place powerful contemporary art like his within this very special context. isla del Rry is an extraordinary place of wild nature, beautiful light and sea, with a fascinating history. our vision to create a cultural hub for menorca has been realized over a five-year journey, and the enthusiasm shown to us by the menorcan community and our family of artists has encouraged us at every step of the way. we look forward to welcoming our first visitors this year when we can travel again.’

project info:

name: HAURSER & WIRTH menorca

location: illa del rei, menorca, spain

design: luis laplace

landscape design: piet oudolf

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piet oudolf and peter veenstra on ‘sharawadgi’ in garden design and landscape architecture

philip stevens I designboom — Wed, 19 May 2021 06:29:20 +0000

the work of garden designer piet oudolf and landscape architecture firm LOLA is documented as part of a new book and exhibition, which is set to open in the netherlands.

over the past decades, oudolf has completed a wide range of projects, earning a reputation as one of the world’s most influential garden designers. after starting his landscape and garden design practice in 1976, alongside his wife anja, oudolf moved to hummelo — a village in the eastern part of the netherlands. it was here, in 1982, that the oudolfs started a nursery growing unusual, but garden-worthy perennials. following increased attention for his personal garden, oudolf began attracting international interest. now, 45 years after piet oudolf originally began his practice, the dutch garden designer has completed projects that include the high line in new york and the 2011 serpentine pavilion.

hummelo is the private garden of piet and anja oudolf | image courtesy of piet oudolf (also main image)

founded in 2006 by eric-jan pleijster, cees van der veeken, and peter veenstra, LOLA landscape architects couldn’t help but be influenced and inspired by oudolf. ‘when we were studying landscape architecture, ‘gardening’ was a swear word,’ peter veenstra tells designboom. ‘it meant someone had spent time on random details and shapes while losing track of the bigger picture. when slowly the interest in public gardens and more sophisticated planting plans was reemerging, piet oudolf was there to wow everyone with pictures of his gardens, including us.’ this interest has led LOLA to collaborate with oudolf on numerous occasions, including on this project in sweden with herzog & de meuron.

the work of both oudolf and LOLA is presented in a new exhibition, which opens at the SCHUNCK museum in the netherlands on june 9, 2021. titled ‘in search of sharawadgi’, the display will take visitors on a journey, showing how public gardens and landscapes across the world have been transformed. in the context of landscape architecture, the term ‘sharawadgi’ — a corruption of the japanese sorowaji, meaning non-regular — has become synonymous with a style of landscape design or architecture that avoids rigid lines and symmetry to make the landscape appear organic and naturalistic. as LOLA and oudolf find themselves united in this endeavor, the term sharawadgi became the exhibition’s title and its central theme. documenting the projects in question, the presentation is accompanied by a 192-page book published in collaboration with nai010.

to learn more about the creative approach of the designers, designboom spoke with piet oudolf and LOLA co-founder peter veenstra who discussed the renewed appreciation for outdoor space and how landscape architecture can help with issues such as rapid urbanization, climate change, and flooding. read both interviews in full below.

designboom (DB): you have designed gardens in a range of different environments. is your general approach the same when designing for the high line, compared to a private garden?

piet oudolf (PO): the approach is different. when designing a private garden I focus on the wishes and needs of an individual or family. you can decide together on the garden design based on their terms. in public space, one has to deal with so much more. not only more people, but also more restrictions, rules and regulations on accessibility and security and maintenance.

piet oudolf working on one of his designs | film still courtesy of thomas piper

DB: how do you want people to feel after spending time in one of your gardens?

PO:  people who visit my gardens often come into contact with greenery of a higher amenity value than the general green of a regular park. it can also encourage interest in plants for people without a garden.

piet oudolf’s garden design for hauser & wirth | image courtesy of piet oudolf

DB: do you think there has been a renewed appreciation for outdoor space and gardening given the difficulties of the past year?

PO: in the past couple years, there has been an increase in the appreciation and growing interest in public green. remarkable is that a younger generation, people between 25 and 45 are the biggest group who has interest in gardens and greenery.

vlinderhof is a botanical garden piet oudolf designed in utrecht

interview continues with peter veenstra, co-founder of LOLA landscape architects, below.

image courtesy of hans van horssen

designboom (DB): this new exhibition is called ‘in search of sharawadgi’. what does this term mean to you, and how does it relate to your work? 

peter veenstra (PV): the literal word sharawadgi is gibberish and doesn’t mean anything. it was the best recollection that sir william temple had of an eastern term to describe the natural, wild qualities of a garden. he brought it to europe and sparked the start of the english landscape style with it.

the word represents the desire of adding a sense of wilderness into our living environment, and is a first attempt to help to define and design it. much later, the word was adopted in music theory, and was described as ‘the sublime of the everyday’. I found that very inspiring for the practice of landscape architecture, as a goal — landscape design as a form of micro-dosing the grand sublime. much more calm and everyday, still contributing to well-being not only physically, but also in a reflective or spiritual way.

DB: this exhibition features your projects alongside those of piet oudolf. how much of an influence has oudolf’s work had on you?

PV: when we were studying landscape architecture, ‘gardening’ was a swear word. it meant someone had spent time on random details and shapes while losing track of the bigger picture. when slowly the interest in public gardens and more sophisticated planting plans was reemerging, piet oudolf was there to wow everyone with pictures of his gardens, including us.

our interest in piet’s work primarily led to collaborations, in which we both have our territory of expertise. in these collaborations, piet has inspired us: his absolute focus on the core of his work, openness to collaboration and positive world view.

rendering of the etzenrade castle project, designed by both LOLA and piet oudolf

PV (continued): in landscape architecture it can be hard to find inspiring clients, since most of them are either civil servants who are just doing their job, or project developers who’s heart is more attached to architecture. while we are building a reputation, this is improving, but piet is on another level. he attracts clients with a clear ambition when it comes to landscape, and an outspoken taste. that’s very stimulating to work with.

recently we got very interested in (re-)afforestation as a climate solution. while many of the large scale afforestation projects are rather monotonous, we asked ourselves: can we somehow bring some of the aesthetics that piet oudolf is bringing to his meadows, into forests? we started to develop algorithms to generate tree patterns with more natural diversity and surprise.

‘after landscape’ is a project by artist sanne vaassen in etzenrade | image by anne buscher

DB: the name LOLA comes from ‘LOst LAndscapes’. how important is it to ensure that good landscape architecture can be accessed by as many people as possible?

PV: on a global scale, there is no lack of beautiful nature. yet many people have a different daily experience, and we know how important it is for everyone’s well-being. you could say this is a problem of distribution and accessibility of nature. the core business of a landscape architect is to tune this accessibility and distribution. surely not all landscapes should be made accessible in the same way and become paved paradises like in joni mitchell’s song. you shouldn’t measure the success of a landscape or a public space by the amount of visitors. it’s a matter of finding the right balance between universal accessibility and universal inaccessibility — and everything in between.

‘after landscape’ is a project by artist sanne vaassen in etzenrade | image by anne buscher

DB: how can good landscape architecture help with issues such as rapid urbanization, climate change, and flooding?

PV: by envisioning future-proof environments that also offer a new perspective on how we can live together. the debate on spatial planning is very much focused on problems and solutions. but it’s important to go beyond solving problems — nobody wants to live in the solution of a problem. we need to create environments that inspire future generations.

it’s important to realize that most design research can fuel a discussion, but will never be realized. therefore it can help to make polemic plans — the biggest impact we ever had with design research was a scenario for the netherlands in 2200, where half the country is flooded. the radicality of the proposal sparked a widespread discussion on the long term future of the netherlands.

park groot vijversburg is a public park in the north of the netherlands designed by LOLA

DB: why do you think the netherlands has such a tradition of renowned landscape architects? are the country’s topography or climate factors?

PV: in the netherlands, all the necessary infrastructure is there for talent to grow; schools, clients, open-minded architects to collaborate with, funds, magazines. worldwide, landscape architecture is still an emerging profession; there are still many countries that lack a good school for landscape architecture.

the solana ulcinj masterplan proposed for montenegro | image courtesy of LOLA

PV (continued): the dutch landscape is a big playground for landscape architects. for a large part, the country is an artificial construction; everything has been designed, there is hardly any wilderness, and most of the historical landscapes have been rationalized into modern farmland. it’s not a natural beauty, and it is in constant need of surgery to keep it well. that generates a lot of work, but also a culture of innovation.

but to put things into perspective: the fact that dutch landscape architecture is well-known, is not just because of the quality. because we live in a small country, we are eager to export. we have a tradition of trade. the whole world knows heineken, and this is not necessarily because of the great taste of it.

exhibition details:
name: landscape works with piet oudolf and LOLA — in search of sharawadgi
location: SCHUNCK museum, heerlen, the netherlands
dates: june 9 – october 17, 2021

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the spur: the high line’s final segment opens in new york

philip stevens I designboom — Wed, 10 Jul 2019 20:54:06 +0000

the spur, the final segment of the high line, has opened to the public in new york. situated at the eastern terminus of the elevated park, the spur is home to the high line’s largest open space, its largest planters, and offers the most seating. the project has been designed by james corner field operations, diller scofidio + renfro (DS+R), and planting designer piet oudolf — the same team responsible for the other sections of the high line.

two balconies feature seating with glass balustrades leaning back at 120 degrees to direct views up to surrounding buildings. visitors are greeted by two large tilted planters that create a dramatic planted threshold into the spur and provide a lush wall of greenery. visitors arrive to an open plaza with panoramic views up and down 10th avenue and 30th street. ‘this abandoned, elevated freight system continues to surprise with this latest incarnation as a unique new plaza for art and music,’ comments ricardo scofidio, partner, diller scofidio + renfro. ‘the spur opens new vistas to and from the city and visually reconnects the high line back to the 10th avenue overlook on 17th street.’

the plaza retains the existing rail tracks that once led to USPS morgan processing and distribution center, reminding visitors of the history of the structure. thanks to a series of cascading wooden seating steps on the east and west sides of the spur, this new section provides space for hosting large numbers of people at public programs and art events. the high line plinth is the first site on the high line dedicated solely to a rotating series of new, monumental, contemporary art commissions. simone leigh’s ‘brick house’ — a 16-foot-tall bronze bust — is the inaugural plinth commission.

‘the design of the spur has gone through many iterations over the years: from theater, to garden, to woodland, to event platform, to an immersive ‘bowl,’ among others,’ explains james corner, founding partner, james corner field operations. ‘but we ended up with the best solution, typical high line: tough, simple, and authentic. leaving the large lofted space of the coach passage, you enter the spur through a lush woodland, which opens into a large clearing with large-scale artwork on the plinth. this dramatic space is flanked by generous seating and overlooks and immerses you in the massive scale of the surrounding city.’ see designboom’s previous coverage of the project here.

project info:

design: james corner field operations, diller scofidio + renfro, and piet oudolf
artist: simone leigh
official website: the high line
location: new york city, NY, USA
status: complete

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‘the plinth’ will be the high line’s new destination for public art

philip stevens I designboom — Mon, 10 Dec 2018 15:21:12 +0000

in 2019, the high line will welcome a new landmark destination for public art. designed as the focal point of the spur — the newest section of new york’s famous elevated park — the plinth will be the first space on the high line, and one of the only sites in new york city, dedicated solely to a rotating series of new, monumental, contemporary art commissions.

the plinth will be dedicated to a rotating series of art commissions
image by james corner field operations and diller scofidio + renfro, courtesy of the city of new york

the spur is one of two parts of the high line that its designers — james corner field operations and diller scofidio + renfro — are still developing. unlike most of the other sections of the park where visitors are moving along thoroughfares, the spur is conceived as a natural gathering space. the plinth will serve as an anchor at the center of this plaza, creating a dialogue with the surrounding buildings and skyscrapers.

brick house is a 16-foot-tall bronze female bust
image by james corner field operations and diller scofidio + renfro, courtesy of the city of new york

the plinth is located on the newest section of the park opening at 30th street, where a large open space will offer sweeping views. artworks selected for the plinth will thus become part of the cityscape itself, remaining on display for 18 months. inspired by trafalgar square’s fourth plinth in london, the large scale and high visibility of the plinth offers artists a unique platform to inspire a diverse public audience.

simone leigh gazing at her sculpture while in progress
image by timothy schenck

the inaugural high line plinth was initiated by an international advisory committee of 13 artists, curators, and art world professionals who each submitted recommendations of artists to invite to submit a proposal. 12 proposals were then selected from the initial group of 50, with simone leigh’s brick house ultimately chosen as the inaugural commission. brick house will be unveiled at the opening of the spur in 2019 and will remain on view through september 2020.

the spur is conceived as a natural gathering space
image by friends of the high line

the large open space will offer sweeping views
image by friends of the high line

the plinth is located on the newest section of the high line opening at 30th street
image by friends of the high line

project info:

architects: james corner field operations and diller scofidio + renfro
artist: simone leigh
official website: the high line

The post ‘the plinth’ will be the high line’s new destination for public art appeared first on designboom | architecture & design magazine.

herzog & de meuron, piet oudolf, and LOLA team up to transform stockholm gasometer site

philip stevens I designboom — Mon, 23 Oct 2017 15:52:48 +0000

a high profile team comprising herzog & de meuron, piet oudolf, and LOLA landscape architects has been selected to transform part of stockholm’s norra djurgårdsstaden district. the region is home to a number of industrial gasometer buildings, which are no longer in use. the project see the removal of one of these structures, to be replaced with a 90 meter-tall residential tower designed by swiss firm herzog & de meuron. the high-rise will have a café, a spa, offices, and a kindergarten on its ground floor, while a new culture center will be established near the site’s existing brick buildings.

the area surrounding the herzog & de meuron-designed structure will be landscaped by piet oudolf and LOLA landscape architects. the two firms, who have worked together before, will transform the industrial site — named ‘gasklockan’ — into an open and inviting setting for both residents and visitors. ‘the landscape design aims to give the gasometers a common natural ground as well as to add a member to the family: a beautiful meadow garden flanked by a stretched sun bench of 88 meters,’ says LOLA. ‘together with a plaza between the buildings and a serpentine walk connecting to the surrounding nature it forms the core of the design.’

the industrial site will be transformed into an inviting setting for both residents and visitors
image by IMG+, courtesy of LOLA landscape architects

the landscape design seeks to establish a close relationship between the urban dweller and nature. a strong emphasis has been placed on creating a natural environment that is both accessible and attractive throughout the year. ‘the landscape seeks to promote peoples consciousness of the value of nature,’ continues LOLA. the project is being developed by oscar properties, and has a targeted completion scheduled for 2021.

the natural environment will be both accessible and attractive throughout the year
image by IMG+, courtesy of LOLA landscape architects

‘our projects do not end at the gable of the house,’ says oscar engelbert, founder and CEO of oscar properties. ‘we are placing more and more focus on the development of the areas surrounding our housing projects, where the landscape and environment constitute an important part. piet oudolf has been at the top of our list for many years, he is a true artist when it comes to landscape design.’

the project is scheduled to complete by 2021
image by IMG+, courtesy of LOLA landscape architects

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