English Natural or Romantic Period Landscape Architecture PDF

THE MODERN WORLD EUROPE (1700 -1900) ENGLISH NATURAL or ROMANTIC PERIOD (1715 – 1837) SOCIAL CONTEXT War with France The American Revolutionary War Urbanization of population follows industrial revolution Age of Enlightenment Social Unrest and Reform ENGLISH NAT...

THE MODERN WORLD EUROPE (1700 -1900) ENGLISH NATURAL or ROMANTIC PERIOD (1715 – 1837) SOCIAL CONTEXT War with France The American Revolutionary War Urbanization of population follows industrial revolution Age of Enlightenment Social Unrest and Reform ENGLISH NATURAL or ROMANTIC PERIOD DESIGN EXPRESSIONS Cultural Aesthetic evolves from formal to informal John Evelyn’s book “Sylva” or “A Discourse of Forest Trees” (1664) urged property owners to help reforest the countryside to improve their land Critical Essays and other writings against formal gardens: Joseph Addison and Richard Steel, writings in THE SPECTATOR (1712 – 1714) “Nature and Art should imitate each other” William Kent stated in 1730 “Nature abhors a straight line” William Hogarth (1750) “The waving line is the way to beauty” ENGLISH NATURAL or ROMANTIC PERIOD DESIGN EXPRESSIONS Visits to China by Sire William Temple and William Chambers CHINOISERIE (Anglo-Chinese) – asymmetrical design or occult balance Grand tour of Roman and Greek historic sites 17th Century fashion of owning romantic landscape paintings Principles of painting composition being applied to design of the landscape ENGLISH NATURAL or ROMANTIC PERIOD DESIGN EXPRESSIONS Renewed interest in Western Classicism JEAN-JACQUES ROUSSEAU –interest in return to nature Age of Enlightenment and increase in scientific endeavors toward nature, which emphasized the character of the indigenous English landscape ENGLISH NATURAL or ROMANTIC PERIOD DESIGN EXPRESSIONS The Laws of Nature as determinants of design elements and compositions Landscape Design became an expression of a sympathetic attitude toward nature Creations of natural or picturesque pastoral scenery OFFSKIPS or borrowed scenery to surrounding countryside outside one’s ownership ENGLISH NATURAL or ROMANTIC PERIOD DESIGN EXPRESSIONS Landscape components of open meadows, ponds and trees in masses Thousands of geometric gardens were removed and replaced by informal naturalesque scenery Contrived artifice of follies or eye-catchers, constructed ruins, temples or castles: Dead trees planted to lend natural appearance of the natural Rustic hermitages with hermits employed to reside in forest huts or caves Ex:STOWE (1713) by Charles Bridgeman STOURHEAD (1743-1775) by Henry Hoare II STOURHEAD (1743-1775) by Henry Hoare II STOWE (1713) by Charles Bridgeman BLENHEIM (1761) by Brown ENGLISH NATURAL or ROMANTIC PERIOD DESIGN EXPRESSIONS Following the era dominated by Capability Brown (1750 – 17783) and excessive pastoralism, was a period of compromise between informal and formal settings Used “red books” to convey his design proposals to clients Modified LONGLEAT, WIMPOLE, SHEFFIELD PARK (all done by C. Brown) Humphrey Repton First to call himself a Landscape Gardener (1780) Urged the reinstatement of geometric gardens and terraces immediately surrounding the house ENGLISH NATURAL or ROMANTIC PERIOD DESIGN EXPRESSIONS (late 18th century) William Gilpin, Sir Uvedale Price, and Richard Payne Knight advocated a more picturesque unkempt- looking landscapes over those of the manicured soft landscapes of C. Brown Jardin Anglais Adaptations of English landscape garden style on the European continent Many examples were remodeled from earlier formal gardens or were situated adjacent to formal gardens that remained in place Ex: ENGLISCHE GARTEN, Germany BOIS DE BOULOGNE, France ENGLISCHE GARTEN, Germany ENGLISH NATURAL or ROMANTIC PERIOD DESIGN EXPRESSIONS Urban Residential Squares Speculative construction of a unified façade on a fashionable complex of row houses, with an open central square, with streets continuing through Designed to appear palatial Tenants were middle class who sought the image of aristocratic housing with small garden plots to the rear Urban Country Parks created from royal properties Centuries old royal hunting parks redesigned into fashionable pleasure parks in the English landscape garden style Ex: GREEN PARK (1820) London by Nash ENGLISH NATURAL or ROMANTIC PERIOD REGENTS PARK (1811) London by John Nash and John Repton ENGLISH NATURAL or ROMANTIC PERIOD DESIGN EXPRESSIONS Urban Country Parks created on newly-acquired public lands Due to Industrial Revolution and influx of population into cities without public open space amenities for leisure enjoyment, awakening social consciousness about living conditions for urban working class Parks were financed by the development and sale of houses or villas built around the edges of the park Parks designed according to English Landscape garden style principles influenced FREDERICK LAW OLMSTED Was the first to use the title Landscape Architect in May 1863 Ex: VICTORIA PARK (1841) London; by James Pennethorne BIRKENHEAD PARK (1844) Liverpool; by Joseph Paxton BIRKENHEAD PARK (1844) Liverpool by Joseph Paxton ENGLISH NATURAL or ROMANTIC PERIOD HA-HA – an unobtrusive ditch in a broad, grassy landscape with a fence running along its bottom and traditionally one vertical walled side; first popularized by CHARLES BRIDGEMAN  AMERICAN ENVIRONMENTAL DESIGN (1600 -1993) COLONIAL PERIOD AMERICAN NATIONAL AMERICAN ROMANTIC EXPANSION OF THE PROFESSION OF LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTURE DEPRESSION TO PRE-WORLD WAR II LANSCAPE ARCHITECTURE PROFESSION POST-WORLD WAR II AMERICAN ENVIRONMENTAL DESIGN CULTURE A new civilization established by many peoples for the entire world who came to America for a great number of reasons: Religious freedom Political freedom Economic opportunity Resource exploitation Land speculation, etc. COLONIAL PERIOD (1620’s -1791) 17th Century: RESIDENTIAL GARDENS IN THE NEW ENGLAND COLONIES: Modest, compact, utilitarian dooryard gardens for growing of herbs, medicinal plants, flowers Enclosed in stone walls, split rail or paling fences Located beside kitchen or front door COLONIAL PERIOD (1620’s -1791) Add pic COLONIAL PERIOD (1620’s -1791) 18th Century: PLEASURE GARDENS FOR THE MIDDLES CLASS: Use of native and important vegetation Use of decorative features such as fences, gates, benches, arbors, dovecotes, statuary, topiary COLONIAL PERIOD (1620’s -1791) RESIDENTIAL GARDENS IN THE SOUTHERN COLONIES Plantations Large land holdings for production of monoculture cash crops of tobacco, rice, cotton Self sufficiency of plantations Mixture of indigenous and imported ornamental trees and shrubs Design style mimicked that of English Jacobean and to a lesser extent, the French Grand Style RESIDENTIAL GARDENS IN THE SOUTHERN COLONIES Palatial houses and grand formal gardens, with geometric patterns of clipped boxwood and other evergreens MOUNT VERNON, Potomac River, Virginia (1759-1786) COLONIAL PERIOD (1620’s -1791) RESIDENTIAL GARDENS IN THE SOUTHERN COLONIES Terrace gardens descending to the river (main transportation artery) COLONIAL PERIOD (1620’s -1791) Residential gardens in the southern colonies Ex: STRATFORD HALL, Rappahannock River, Virginia (1730) COLONIAL PERIOD (1620’s -1791) Townhouse Gardens Modest in size Geometric Patterns Clipped boxwood mixed with native and imported plants Design patterns obtained from itinerant gardeners or pattern books COLONIAL PERIOD (1620’s -1791) Townhouse Gardens Ex: WILLIAMSBURG GARDENS (1720’s – 1730’s) COLONIAL PERIOD (1620’s -1791) Townhouse Gardens Ex: PACA HOUSE ANNAPOLIS, Maryland (1763) COLONIAL PERIOD Early experiments with the Natural or English Landscape Garden Style Practiced by Americans who had large libraries of design books, had visited England and saw the “modern” style there; and English continental designers who came to America Ex: WILLIAMSBURG GOVERNOR’S PALACE GARDENS (1712) William Byrd II With naturalistic tree plantings Borrowed scenery The ha-ha wall COLONIAL PERIOD (1620’s -1791) Town Planning New England colonial towns, formed by families of farmers and other tradesmen Property distributed by drawing lots to assure fairness Each family claim was to be of equal value for agricultural use Each family residence was approximately equidistant from town center Town settled along navigable river or inlet COLONIAL PERIOD Town Planning Central open space in town was the COMMON used for the drillings of militia, grazing of the family cow, or last stronghold if the town was attacked At center: church, school, meetinghouse, marketplace Animals allowed to run loose in streets necessitating the use of fences or walls for Dooryard Gardens Towns were totally cleared from existing forests, thus were treeless COLONIAL PERIOD (1620’s -1791) Town Planning Ex: SALEM, Massachusetts (1625) PLYMOUTH, Massachusetts (1620) COLONIAL PERIOD (1620’s -1791) Town Planning: BOSTON, Massachusetts (1630) COLONIAL PERIOD Capital Towns were formed by governor or director appointed by the king Layout was an orderly, geometric, gridiron pattern of streets and lots (followed the ancient classical or baroque prototype) Standardized lot sizes and street widths Regional Plan Schemes allowed for land granting to include an in-town house lot and an outlying farm plot Growth of town was usually by expansion according to original street pattern Centralized civic facilities: market, churches, school, meetinghouse COLONIAL PERIOD (1620’s -1791) Capital Towns were formed by governor or director appointed by the king Ex: SAVANNAH (1733) James Oglethorpe AMERICAN NATIONAL CLASSIC PERIOD, THE ROMAN IDIOM (1791 – 1830) After the war for independence, the new American nation ambitiously began to proclaim its new independent status by building governmental facilities in each of the new states City Planning: Grand Baroque master plans modeled on the plan of Versailles, the Wren Plan of London, and other foreign capitals AMERICAN NATIONAL CLASSIC PERIOD, THE ROMAN IDIOM (1791 – 1830) City Planning: U.S. FEDERAL CAPITAL CITY (1791) Washington, D.C. By Pierre Charles L’Enfant, George Washington, and Thomas Jefferson AMERICAN NATIONAL CLASSIC PERIOD, THE ROMAN IDIOM Institutional Facilities Classic Revival (Roman Style) buildings and complexes of buildings Ex: PRESIDENT’S HOUSE (WHITE HOUSE), Washington D.C., 1792-1819 - By James Holban AMERICAN NATIONAL CLASSIC PERIOD, THE ROMAN IDIOM Institutional Facilities Ex: U.S. CONGRESS HOUSE, 1793- 1800 Capitol, Washington, D.C. By Dr. William Thornton AMERICAN NATIONAL CLASSIC PERIOD, THE ROMAN IDIOM (1791 – 1830) Residential gardens continued to be designed as GEOMETRIC COMPOSITIONS similar to Colonial examples Beginnings of BOTANICAL GARDENS and HORTICULTURAL NURSERIES Stimulation of interest in exotic plant materials Mail-order purchase of nursery plants and seeds AMERICAN NATIONAL CLASSIC PERIOD, THE ROMAN IDIOM (1791 – 1830) Pattern Books provided garden designs for home-owners Continuing experiments with the natural or English landscape garden style by Americans who saw the modern style as an expression of American enlightenment and currency with the fashions in England and the Continent AMERICAN NATIONAL CLASSIC PERIOD, THE ROMAN IDIOM (1791 – 1830) Ex: THE WOODLANDS (1785-1786) Philadelphia By George Washington AMERICAN NATIONAL CLASSIC PERIOD, THE ROMAN IDIOM (1791 – 1830) Ex: YALE COLLEGE (1792) New haven, Connecticut By John Trumbull AMERICAN NATIONAL CLASSIC PERIOD, THE ROMAN IDIOM (1791 – 1830) Ex: POINT BREEZE (1817-1825) Bordertown, New Jersey By Joseph Bonaparte AMERICAN ROMANTIC (1831 – 1869) The period of increased popularity of the English landscape gardening style Indicated a gradual shift from geometric formal design to informal naturalesque images Often achieved by the application of 18th Century formulas and rules of design than by the more site-sensitive approach that emerged after about 1869 AMERICAN ROMANTIC (1831 – 1869) New project types appeared: Public Facilities (CEMETERIES, PARKS) SPRING GROVE CEMETERY, New York 1838 By David Bates Douglass AMERICAN ROMANTIC New project types appeared: Public Facilities (CEMETERIES, PARKS) SMITHSONIAN MUSEUM GROUNDS AND THE MALL, Wash. D.C. 1851 (By Andrew Jackson Downing) AMERICAN ROMANTIC New project types appeared: Public Facilities (CEMETERIES, PARKS) GREENSWARD PLAN FOR CENTRAL PARK, New York 1858 By Frederick Law Olmsted and Calvert Vaux AMERICAN ROMANTIC GREENSWARD PLAN FOR CENTRAL PARK, New York 1858 By Frederick Law Olmsted and Calvert Vaux AMERICAN ROMANTIC (1831 – 1869) New project types appeared: YOSEMITE VALLEY as State Wilderness Reservation 1864 Olmsted wrote the Management Manual (1865) AMERICAN ROMANTIC (1831 – 1869) Residential Developments: The term “SUBURB” coined in 1841 by writer Nathaniel Parker Willis Planned suburban communities in the romantic, naturalistic, picturesque style At the edges of major cities Within reasonable public transit commuting distance to central city Park-like setting with relatively large private building lots, generous open space, and landscape amenities such as rolling topography, mature trees, water bodies Public community facilities of rustic nature, foot paths, picnic shelters, benches, sculptural elements AMERICAN ROMANTIC Residential Developments: Planned suburban communities in the romantic, naturalistic, picturesque style Curvilinear street networks Property lines that meandered in conformity with topography and streets Ex: RIVERSIDE, Illinois (1868-1870) By Olmsted and Vaux EXPANSION OF THE PROFESSION OF LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTURE (1869 – 1960) A gradual shift from reliance on the Romantic Idiom toward more systematic and rational design methodologies based on truer conformity to landforms, micro-climate, and existing vegetation Increasing number of practicing landscape architects doing public projects along with an expansion in the number of private works EXPANSION OF THE PROFESSION OF LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTURE Public Urban Parks and Parkways: MOUNT ROYAL PARK (1875) Montreal, Canada By F.L. Olmsted EXPANSION OF THE PROFESSION OF LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTURE (1869 – 1960) Public Urban Parks and Parkways: BOSTON METROPOLITAN DISTRICT (1893) By Charles Eliot EXPANSION OF THE PROFESSION OF LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTURE (1869 – 1960) Public Urban Parks and Parkways: THE FENS AND BACK BAY NETWORK OF PARKS (THE EMERALD NECKLACE) Boston (1878-1891) by F.L. Olmsted and Charles Olmsted EXPANSION OF THE PROFESSION OF LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTURE COUNTRY PLACE ERA (1870 – 1929) Picturesque and Single Track Eclectic Revivalism Stimulated by the unprecedented industrial boom occurring in the U.S. An era of rural residential construction Landscape Architects were called upon to design the grounds for immense mansions whose designs were mimics of wide range of historic styles, scaled-down models of European royal palaces EXPANSION OF THE PROFESSION OF LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTURE (1869 – 1960) COUNTRY PLACE ERA (1870 – 1929) Ex: OLANA, Hudson, New York (1870) By Calvert Vaux EXPANSION OF THE PROFESSION OF LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTURE Landscape Architectural Design Advances Greater care for detail, proportion, scale Clarity of spatial formation as positive element Refinements in comprehensive site planning of circulation, both horizontal and vertical Increased ecological sensitivity EXPANSION OF THE PROFESSION OF LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTURE (1869 – 1960) Landscape Architectural Design Advances Ex: TIMBERLINE, Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania (1912) By Plat and Olmsted Brothers EXPANSION OF THE PROFESSION OF LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTURE (1869 – 1960) Landscape Architectural Design Advances Ex: KILLENWORTH, Long Island (1925) By James L. Greenleaf EXPANSION OF THE PROFESSION OF LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTURE (1869 – 1960) Emergence of Women in Landscape Architecture Women in practice for themselves or working in established offices, often working on country estates Marian Coffin Annette Flanders Beatrix Jones Farrand Co-founded (with F.L. Olmsted) ASLA in 1899 Theodora Kimball Hubbarb First librarian of the Harvard School of Landscape Architecture EXPANSION OF THE PROFESSION OF LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTURE (1869 – 1960) Emergence of Women in Landscape Architecture EXPANSION OF THE PROFESSION OF LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTURE (1869 – 1960) EXPOSITIONS: Industrial Expansion in the U.S. led to the nations emergence as a world leader in technology and invention Colossal international expositions were staged to show off the U.S. accomplishments THE WORLD’S COLUMBIAN EXPOSITION held in Chicago, 1893 EXPANSION OF THE PROFESSION OF LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTURE (1869 – 1960) Consequences of the Exposition: Demonstration of the advantages of inter-professional collaboration The leadership role of Landscape Architects, serving as Architects of the Master Land Plan within which architects and engineers were to operate An undesirable consequence of the Chicago Fair was the widespread influence of the “classical” motif of the Exposition on many cities EXPANSION OF THE PROFESSION OF LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTURE (1869 – 1960) The great “white way” was adopted as emerging cities built courthouses, post offices, city halls, libraries, etc. Thus, while an aroused interest in civic design followed the fair, the model chosen was a step backward architecturally EXPANSION OF THE PROFESSION OF LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTURE This wave of interest in CIVIC IMPROVEMENT generated the “CITY BEAUTIFUL MOVEMENT” which led to: Heightened public awareness of the appearance of town centers A desire for impressive and grandiose public spaces and buildings Re-designing of Central Urban Areas The formation of a new design profession – CIVIC DESIGN or URBAN PLANNING Led by Daniel Burnham, John Nolen, Henry Hubbarb, Charles Robinson, Warren Manning, Walter Burley Griffin EXPANSION OF THE PROFESSION OF LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTURE (1869 – 1960) Examples of the City Beautiful Movement: THE MCMILLAN COMMISSION PLAN FOR WASH. D.C. 1901, by F.L. Olmsted, Jr., Daniel Burnham, and Charles McKim EXPANSION OF THE PROFESSION OF LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTURE (1869 – 1960) SAN FRANCISCO PLAN (1906) by Burnham EXPANSION OF THE PROFESSION OF LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTURE (1869 – 1960) MANILA, PHILIPPINES PLAN(1906) by Burnham EXPANSION OF THE PROFESSION OF LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTURE (1869 – 1960) CHICAGO PLAN (1909) Burnham  EXPANSION OF THE PROFESSION OF LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTURE (1869 – 1960) CANBERRA, AUSTRALIA PLAN (1912, Griffin) DEPRESSION TO PRE-WORLD WAR II (1929 – 1941) America gradually showing indications of its eventual breaking-away from the eclectic design influences of Europe Traditionalism American Academy in Rome Prize-winning designs retained the “Beaux-Arts” appearance through the 1930’s DEPRESSION TO PRE-WORLD WAR II BEAUX-ARTS A school in Paris, sponsored by the French government Founded by Jules Cardinal Mazarin in 1648 The full name: Ecole des Beaux-Arts (ECOLE NATIONALE SUPERIURE DES BEAUX-ARTS) Became famous during the 1800’s and early 1900’s for its architectural teaching It promoted the design of buildings according to ancient Greek and Roman Architectural Models Influenced the teaching of architecture and the design of civic buildings in many countries, including the U.S. Is known also for its strong emphasis on traditional design BEAUX-ARTS Landscape Architectural education continued to emphasize traditional stylistic approach rather than site-specific problem solving process DEPRESSION TO PRE-WORLD WAR II (1929 – 1941) Works executed were ECLECTIC in character A free borrowing of styles, details, or features and their combination into often inconsistent patterns DEPRESSION TO PRE-WORLD WAR II (1929 – 1941) Examples of TRADITIONALISM during this period: LINCOLN MEMORIAL, Washington, D.C. 1910-1922, by Henry Bacon DEPRESSION TO PRE-WORLD WAR II (1929 – 1941) Examples of TRADITIONALISM during this period: JEFFERSON MEMORIAL, Washington, D.C. 1939- 1943, by John Russell Pope DEPRESSION TO PRE-WORLD WAR II (1929 – 1941) Transition to new attitudes about the environment, planning, and design Regional Environmental Management: Provide hydro-electric power generation Reforest devastated areas Develop recreational facilities Initiate soil conservation practices Improve navigation of the region’s rivers Introduce scientific farming practices such as contour plowing and crop rotation DEPRESSION TO PRE-WORLD WAR II (1929 – 1941) Experimentation with Non-traditional Design Approaches Dan Kiley, James Rose, Garrett Eckbo Harvard Graduate School of Design With their avant-garde (regarded as pre-eminent in the use of innovation and technology in a given field) By Dan Kiley design ideas DEPRESSION TO PRE-WORLD WAR II (1929 – 1941) Experimentation with Non-traditional Design Approaches Thomas Church – residential design “EL NOVILLERO”, Sonoma, California (1948) By T. Church and Lawrence Halprin DEPRESSION TO PRE-WORLD WAR II (1929 – 1941) Experimentation with Non-traditional Design Approaches Frank Lloyd Wright His works expressed uniqueness of the site, indigenous materials, spatial flow, human scale Ex: FALLINGWATER, Bear Run, Pennsylvania (1936) DEPRESSION TO PRE-WORLD WAR II (1929 – 1941) New York World’s Fair (1939) Displayed the new departure in architecture and landscape architectural design characterized by: Flowing, curving lines No apparent beginning or end Cohesive and pleasing when viewed from any vantage point Asymmetrically balanced Simplicity of forms Unique design solutions resulting from the unique requirements of program and site DEPRESSION TO PRE-WORLD WAR II (1929 – 1941) New York World’s Fair (1939) Ex: EXHIBITION GARDEN FOR GOLDEN GATE EXPO San Francisco (1940) T. Church LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTURE PROFESSION POST WORLD WAR II (1945 – 1993) The period is marked by: Population shift from predominantly rural to urban and concomitant growth of cities Urban sprawl into the suburbs as a result of cheaper land Many urban-based institutions relocated to the suburbs on cheaper, open land, with space for expansion LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTURE PROFESSION POST WORLD WAR II (1945 – 1993) A major shift in project types and clients Commissions for the design of residential grounds for the wealthy dwindled to a very small proportion of the profession’s expanding scope of work Renewed commitment to the fundamental concern for the environment (stewardship of the land) working with ecological considerations LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTURE PROFESSION POST WORLD WAR II (1945 – 1993) Profession of landscape architecture evolved to handle a diversity of project types, including: Planned residential communities Suburban shopping centers Urban renewal – redevelopment of inner city sections into new uses Suburban college campuses Urban plazas and vest pocketed parks Rooftop plazas and gardens Industrial, corporate, institutional parks Memorials