Chelsea Flower Show 2011PR Brief

Contents:

Images and mood boards for the garden

RHS Formal Brief Submission

Additional background research and thinking behind the brief

Laurent Perrier and how the brief ties in with them

Research on the architects: Kengo Kuma and Associates. Inc. European portfolio

Research on the sculpture: Peter Randal-Page

Images of garden

Images of garden

Images of garden

Images of garden

Mood images

Mood images

Mood images

Mood images

RHS Brief  Describe the purpose or theme of your garden, including its intended use. (Please include references to practicability and environmental responsibility as appropriate.) (guide: 80 words)

This garden explores the theme of “nature and human intervention”. The intention is to bring together garden, art and architecture in a composition that reveals, compliments and enhances a shared philosophy.

The theme of the garden is initially conveyed in the distinction between the clearly defined layout and the gentle wildness of the planting.

The garden is divided into two distinctive areas; at one end is a calm, resting, meditative space. In contrast the other is a densely planted, romantic and elegant space that frames the water and is designed to be walked through.

The garden forms part of a large residential property, whose owners are interested in having an enclosed area that is designed to be an intimate, contemplative addition to their living space, which can be experienced from both within and visually from the outside.  Indicate whether the garden has structures and what purpose they serve. Mention the boundaries of the garden and how they relate to any presumed surroundings. (guide: 100 words)

“Wind” by Kengo Kuma, is the structure that has been commissioned for the garden, to emphasise the theme of “nature and human intervention” from an architectural point of view. This has been achieved through the blending of traditional, natural materials with technology and craftsmanship.

The structure is formed by sixteen panels of split bamboo bands attached to a light wooden frame. Each panel has been engineered and crafted to rotate by itself in the wind, emulating the movement of nature. The transparency of the bamboo panels creates an interaction with the surrounding garden, as well as an atmosphere for contemplation.

The surrounding boundaries walls are used to mark the difference between the two areas. At the end of the garden a woven bamboo wall has been designed by Kengo Kuma to compliment and frame the structure. For the rest of the garden a deciduous hedge will be planted to act as a backdrop for the flowers.  

RHS Brief

The type of soil, the aspect and the prevailing conditions of the garden will be important in respect of the type of plants you are going to use – please describe them. (guide: 100 words) Being an enclosed garden, the site is fairly sheltered with temperate and moderate climatic aspects. It faces south, and the type of soil is fertile, neutral and well drained, with the exception of the area where the pines will be planted which has been conditioned to be more alkaline. 

 Explain your choice of hard materials and the relevance of any special features eg sculpture, water features, rockery etc. (guide: 100 words)

The garden uses gravel as a neutral canvas to help emphasise the character and form of each element of the design. The fractured surface of the gravel has the additional quality of reflecting light in an abstract, moving pattern.Timber is used to form a wooden bridge dividing the two areas of the garden, and is also used as the flooring for the architectural structure. Timber has been selected to relate back to the theme, as it is a material found in nature but assembled and processed by man.

“Walking The Dog 1, 2 and 3” by Peter Randall-Page is the sculpture used in the garden. These sculptures were chosen because they encapsulate the theme of the garden. Peter Randall-Page’s work plays with the dynamic tension found in nature between the tendency for order and the tendency for chaos. In this particular work, the chaos is symbolised through the natural form of the boulder and the order through the light repetitive pattern carved on to them. The form of the boulder represents nature and the carving represents human intervention.

Water is used in two different ways. A rectangular reflecting pool controls water in a precise engineered manner. Whereas the central stream, which runs the length of the garden, shows water in a more natural, flowing way. The two features are formed using the same materials to provide a sense of unity.

The edges of scattered stones positioned within the central stream have the original ruggedness of the quarry however their faces are sawn precisely to generate a contrast between rough and smooth, between their nature before and after human intervention.   

RHS Brief

Explain your choice of plants and how they relate to the theme of the garden. Mention any key structural plants. (guide: 100 words) The main structural planting consists of Parrotia persica, positioned to interact with each of the other elements in the garden. Parrotia persica’s twisted clear stems show both how nature creates beauty and the skill of the modern nurseryman in exposing it. The trees will provide interest throughout the year, with autumnal colour, the structural form and flowers in the winter, and glossy green foliage for the spring and summer. The Pinus mugo at the rear of the garden are planted on backdrop of gravel, silhouetting the clipped cloud like form. Being an evergreen they will also provide winter interest. The composition of the flower scheme is designed to create a romantic atmosphere. The plants were selected for their colour combination, which predominately varies between browns, bronze and soft pinks.  How have you planned to minimise the carbon footprint of your garden? Are plants or materials going to be reused? (guide: 100 words) Eighty-five percent of the garden will be reused.

Brief: Additional

On the people involved:

This garden brings together internationally renowned practitioners from the fields of garden design, architecture and sculpture, in Luciano Giubbilei, Kengo Kuma and Peter Randall-Page.

On the building:

“Instead of a structure representing a solid, inward-facing looking facade, it becomes a stage from which to enjoy a renewed relationship with the external landscape” (Philip Johnson, 1949)

“If I were to aim for a photogenic work, all I would have to do is create a surface to be photographed. But, there are inevitable things that cannot be expressed through photography, such as the depth of surfaces or the relationship between surface and structure. Architecture that has not reached that level would only be boring.” (Kengo Kuma)

On the art:

The sculpture in the garden isn’t a separate element to be placed on a plinth as it was in classical gardens. Instead the art is an integral part of the space both philosophically and physically.

  

These are some quotes and statements that went into the thinking of the project but either didn’t suit or fit the RHS brief.  

Laurent-Perrier

Champagne Laurent-Perrier : Pleasurable wines and "indépendance d'esprit". Founded in 1812, Laurent-Perrier is recognised - throughout the world - as one of the finest of Champagne Houses.

This success derives, first and foremost, from a clear determination to abide by long-established traditions: respect for nature and wine, dedication to quality, and strong and lasting relationships with all those associated with the company, within and without. It is also the result of the sheer driving force of Bernard de Nonancourt, the creator of the Laurent-Perrier range, and that of his daughters, Alexandra and Stéphanie, who are concentrating their own energies on preserving the Group’s independence and perpetuating its values.

These same values guide the hand of the team now led by Stéphane Tsassis, who took over the helm from Yves Dumont in January 2009.

How the brief ties into Laurent-Perrier

The process of making champagne is dependent upon the philosophy of “nature and human intervention”.

Each step is a combination of allowing nature to run its course and then being guided by man, through science, knowledge and skill, to create the final product.

Kengo Kuma & Associates

Kengo Kuma (1954, Kanagawa) graduated from Graduate School of Engineering, University of Tokyo, and finished his specialization at Columbia University, New York.

He is a founder of “Kengo Kuma & Associates” studio.

His revolutionary approach to monumental architecture had brought him numerous referent awards among which are the first place, AIA DuPONT Benedictus Award for “Water/ Glass” , USA, 1997; International Stone Architecture Award for “Stone Museum”, Italy, 2001 and the first prize at Spirit of Nature Wood Architecture Award, Finland, 2002.

Kengo Kuma & Associates

Kengo Kuma & Associates

Peter Randall-Page

Peter Randall-Page was born in the UK in 1954 and studied sculpture at Bath Academy of Art from 1973-77.During the past 25 years he has gained an international reputation through his sculpture drawings and prints. He has undertaken numerous large scale commissions and has exhibited widely. His work is held in numerous public and private collections throughout the world including Japan, South Korea, Australia, USA, Eire, Germany and the Netherlands. A selection of his public sculptures can be found in many urban and rural locations throughout the UK including London, Edinburgh, Manchester, Bristol, Oxford and Cambridge and he is represented in the permanent collections of the Tate Gallery and the British Museum amongst others.

His practice has always been informed and inspired by the study of organic form and its subjective impact on our emotions.

In recent years his work has become increasingly concerned with the underlying principles determining growth and the forms it produces. In his words “geometry is the theme on which nature plays her infinite variations, fundamental mathematical principle become a kind of pattern book from which nature constructs the most complex and sophisticated structures.”In 1999, he was awarded an Honorary Doctorate of Arts from the University of Plymouth and from 2002 to 2005 was an Associate Research Fellow at Dartington College of Arts.He was a member of the design team for the Education Resource Centre (The Core) at the Eden Project in Cornwall, influencing the overall design of the building and incorporating an enormous granite sculpture (‘Seed’) at its heart.

Recent commissions include ‘Give and Take’ in Newcastle which won the 2006 Marsh Award for Public Sculpture, ‘Mind’s Eye’ a large ceramic wall mounted piece for the Department of Psychology at Cardiff University (2006) and a commemorative sculpture for a Mohegan Chief at Southwark Cathedral (2006). Recent projects include a large scale commission for the Jerwood Sculpture Park at Ragley Hall to be opened in early 2010 and a major one person exhibition in and around the Underground Gallery at the Yorkshire Sculpture Park, 27 June 2009 - 11 April 2010.

Peter Randall-Page

Peter Randall-Page

Artists own website:http://www.peterrandall-page.com/about/sculptures.html

Guardian review & gallery:http://www.guardian.co.uk/artanddesign/2009/jul/04/peter-randall-page-sculptures-wakefield http://www.guardian.co.uk/artanddesign/gallery/2009/jun/26/peter-randall-page-stone-art

Yorkshire sculpture park review:http://www.ysp.co.uk/files/ysp/Peter%20RandallPage%20PR(2).pdf

Tate:http://www.tate.org.uk/servlet/ArtistWorks?cgroupid=999999961&artistid=2326&page=1