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Xian Horticultural Expo 2011 Master Gardens | Martha Schwartz Partners

Martha Schwartz Partners was one of nine international landscape design firms to be invited to design a small garden installation on the theme of “the harmonious co-existence of nature and the city” at the 2011 International Horticulture Exhibition in Xi’An, China. The garden will be seen by up to 12 million people between April and October 2011 and may by left permanently as part of the legacy strategy for long-term development of the site. This project is commissioned by Xi’An International Horticultural Exposition Organizing Committee.

Continue reading Xian Horticultural Expo 2011 Master Gardens | Martha Schwartz Partners

Garden of 10,000 bridges 万桥园 opens at Xian Expo: West 8

WEST 8 - Garden of 10,000 bridges 万桥园 Xian

The International Horticultural Expo in Xian, China opened on 28th April. The Garden of 10,000 bridges by West 8 is complete along with many other display gardens.

Gardens are telling stories; they are poetry and have a narrative. Our garden represents the human life, the path of people’s lifetime. This path is a path of uncertainty and burden. Many bridges over troubled water. The garden design takes this path of life as a meandering, winding road – continuous and like a labyrinth. The path through nature takes you over 10000 bridges.

For the 2011 Xi’an International Horticulture Exhibition, West 8 designed a Master Landscape Architect Garden, that plays with the limits and the sensation of surprise.

The International Horticulture Exhibition 2011 has many gardens designed by world renowned landscape architects such as Terragram, Martha Schwartz, SLA, Topotek1, Catherine Mosbach, Plasma Studio, GROSS.MAX, EMBT Miralles/Tagliabue, and Atelier DYJG. Also a 9000 square metre garden has been designed by various landscape architecture programs from across the world that were exhibited in July this year at the Creative Nature Exhibition in Qingpu, Shanghai. With many other gardens designed by city and provinces along with some enterprise gardens. The 2011 Xi’an International Horticulture Exhibition will be held from 28 April to 8 October 2011.

4月28日，西安世界园艺博览会之West 8“万桥园”正式对游人开放。

每座园林都有一个故事。它们是诗，在诉说。
我们的园林讲述的是生命的故事，人的生命之路。
这条路跌宕起伏，忍辱负重，
讲述了忧愁河上的众桥。
在这座园林中，生命是一条绵延不绝的蜿蜒小路，更恍如一座迷宫。
这条小路深入茫茫自然，带你去渡万座桥。

2011年西安世界园艺博览会, West 8设计了大师展园中的一座。这座园林模糊了感官上的界限，带给游人惊奇的游园体验。

2011年西安世界园艺博览会将于4月28日至10月22日在中国西安市举行。

Images Courtesy of West8

West 8 Partnered with DYJG Beijing for this project.

Continue reading Garden of 10,000 bridges 万桥园 opens at Xian Expo: West 8

New look for Federal Plaza, gone are the green benches

The award winning Federal Plaza designed by Martha Schwartz is going to get a new design as the plaza is reconstructed over a 12-18 month period to fix the plaza deck that is settling and leaking affecting the building and carpark below the plaza.

The current design of swirling green benches designed by Martha Schwartz will be removed and replaced by magnolia trees, low evergreen plantings, marble benches and a fountain designed by Michael Van Valkenburgh Associates (MVVA).

The Tribeca Trib recently reported about Matthew Urbanski’s (a principal with MVVA) presentation of the new design to Community Board 1’s Seaport/Civic Center Committee.

Much of the design, Urbanski said, was influenced by the “microclimate” of the plaza, which receives too much sun in the summer and too little in the winter, plus a wind tunnel effect along Worth Street. The magnolia trees are positioned at the northern end of the plaza where they can provide shade and some shielding from winter winds.

To read and see more about the new plaza design go to the [SOURCE: Tribeca Trib - Yet Another Look in Store for Federal Plaza]

King’s Cross Square contenders in the dark | News | Architects Journal

Architects Journal reports

The architects shortlisted in the prestigious King’s Cross Square contest remain unbriefed about the project – six months after being selected

Despite being named as finalists for the 7,000m2 project outside the central London station in January, the six firms have yet to receive any further details of the scheme.

SOURCE: Architects Journal – King’s Cross Square contenders in the dark | News |

Shortlist for the project includes Stanton Williams, Gehl Architects, Field Operations, Martha Schwartz Partners, Gustafson Porter, Gross.MaxTechnorati

Tags: kings cross square, competition, gehl, field, martha schwartz, gustafson, gross.max, london,

Aberdeen row over rival plans – Building Design

Building Design reports

“Landscape architect Martha Schwartz is working on a £140 million Aberdeen project which critics claim threatens an arts centre scheme in the same location by Brisac Gonzalez Architects”

SOURCE: Building Design – Aberdeen row over rival plans