Landscape Design: A Cultural and Architectural History

by Elizabeth Barlow Rogers

From Stonehenge to the royal gardens of Versailles, from the Nazca Lines of Peru to the Forbidden City of Beijing, from the great temple complexes of ancient Egypt to New York's Central Park, people throughout the world from the dawn of civilization have shaped the landscape around them. This book, a survey of the history of landscape design, considers what the evolution of human interaction with the land reveals about the development of society, and how the resulting cities, parks, and gardens embody the values of the cultures that planned and built them. Beginning with prehistoric caves and stone circles, and continuing through the cities and planned environments created by civilizations from ancient Egypt, Greece, and Rome up to the most exciting avant-garde gardens and earthworks of the present day, author Elizabeth Barlow Rogers discusses these superb landscapes in their historical and cultural contexts.
Illustrated with hundreds of plans, drawings, and photographs, many made specifically for this book, Landscape A Cultural and Architectural History will be an invaluable resource to scholars, architects, garden enthusiasts, and indeed to anyone who appreciates the place-making creations of both the great artists and the ordinary folk who have shaped the land.

Genres: Landscape Architecture, Architecture, History, Design, Reference, School

544 pages, Hardcover

First published November 1, 2001

Reviews

[Sean Newman · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was informative review of landscape design through history. A dry read not very well laid out and the typeset makes it feel like antiquated text book from 80's that your eyes grow heavy a paragraph in. That complaint aside it expanded my knowledge of landscapes to understand its design in the context of the cultural movements of each time period. It also linked nicely the earliest gardens used as religious meeting places through history to our modern garden layouts. The ancient axis gardens are used though the Greek, Roman, moorish, Persian Russian, Asian, American (Latin included) landscapes as if secretly put in by a DaVinci code theorist. As I travel I have found so much of what I learned here applicable in my understanding of a places native cultures. A hill doesn't look good from an estate's view then move it 6' to the right was the English picturesque thought and describes their industrial nature. Calming blues, fruit trees and flowers show Moorish love for things not provided by the harsh desert. Fountains and statuary show the greatness of Roman engineering not equalled to this day. The journey goes on from place through time. The garden of a people tells their peoples story, views on life, and their history.
My suggestion is to read this in good light with a strong morning coffee. It's knowledge is worth having. And will open your eyes on your surroundings

[aidan · Rating 4 out of 5]

first time in my schooling that i read almost the entire textbook