The cultural foundations of contemporary French landscape architecture

Abstract

The title of this essay may sound abstract and look rather daunting. It calls for a word of explanation. ‘Foundations’ will be readily understood as the base on which you build. ‘Cultural’ is a more con1plex term which can be explained by making reference to the experience of landscape architects. When you create a garden, once you have examined the nature of the soil and how to get water, you have to design the arrangement of plants, rocks, ornaments, etc. which you feel congenial to the place. It is at this point that culture comes into play. When you discuss the project with private owners or with city authorities, they have something in mind and this something is the product of their culture; you also have something in mind, very often something else, which is also the product of the culture you have acquired by your training and by personal research. The knowledge of other gardens, the theoretical work done on projects, the references you make to the work of other people — all this composes the stock of images and ideas on which you draw when you create a garden.