The art of transmission: mediating meaning in contemporary French landscape design

Abstract

Our research examines the transmission of the meaning of landscape projects by designers to users. [1] More precisely, this article seeks to analyze and identify different principles of mediation developed by French landscape designers so that the public may enjoy their projects. Using several case studies, it shows how landscape designers involve the users in the project by inviting them to participate conceptually. As opposed to alternative theories of meaning, our thesis is that the reception of designed landscapes is governed by a combination of both message and effect. To measure and define the different degrees of participation we proceeded by classifying and describing the projects by three categories, each of which corresponds to ways of building the public's place in relation to the landscape. These three categories are: explicit transmission, implicit transmission and ambiguous transmission. Explicit transmission is based on collective representations of the landscape. It conveys a clear message to the visitor, who knows how to interpret it because he or she is part of a textual community. On the contrary, in implicit transmission, because no message is formally expressed the expression and participation of the visitor may play a more important role. Implicit transmission invites the visitor to participate conceptually in the space. Ambiguous transmission is halfway between these two routes. This process consists of rhetorically confusing an explicit message to render it ambivalent and uncertain. Explicit and implicit at the same time, ambiguous transmission presents several possible messages.