colonnade of trees, eastern cemetery, malmö, 1916-1969.
architect: sigurd lewerentz, 1885-1975.
detail of this.
if you ever heard the claim that neoclassicism imposed academic forms on living beings, here is the proof. the trees in the eastern cemetery not only grow at right angles, they are grafted together, three branches on each side, to form one unique and highly architectural plant.
lewerentz' work with trees as means of architectural expression alone makes a winter visit to the cemetery worth the effort.
the compartmented plan of the cemetery in which hedges and trees form discrete and sheltered spaces is not only typical of cemeteries in the region but of landscape planning as such in southern scandinavia which is flat and suffers bitterly cold westerly winds in the autumn and winter.
the planning is very different from the woodland cemetery, but that lewerentz was a kind of proto-regionalist should come as no surprise. I recall reading that he worked for theodor fischer when he travelled through germany before setting up his own office. fischer was an early regionalist even if his thinking was based on nationalism and he influenced many of the German modernists, not least hugo häring who was a pupil of his.
I so like it when my heroes connect...
lewerentz hired the young kay fisker to work as his assistant on this competition, later claiming he had needed someone Danish to draw the beech trees. I am sure that was an internal joke between the two coming giants of Danish and Swedish architecture who remained friends for the length of their careers.
the lewerentz set.
Tags: lewerentz sigurd architecture landscape landskab path trees winter östra kyrkogården eastern cemetery classical classicist classicism arkitektur malmö malmø malmo sverige sweden facade swedish nordic scandinavia scandinavian neoclassicism arquitectura Architektur arquitetura Architettura Architectuur gravel grave colonnade grating grated branch branches seier+seier creative commons CC
colonnade of trees, eastern cemetery, malmö, 1916-1969.
architect: sigurd lewerentz, 1885-1975.
neo-classicist lewerentz has little of the asplundian let-me-take-you-by-the-hand-and-guide-you-through-the-rituals-of-the-wellfare-state...in malmö's eastern cemetery, the sense of loss is maintained rather than alleviated by the formality of lewerentz' landscape planning: this is a place for mourning, not your sunday stroll.
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if possible, please name photographer "SEIER+SEIER". if not, don't.
important detail here.
the lewerentz set.
Tags: lewerentz sigurd architecture landscape landskab path trees winter östra kyrkogården eastern cemetery classical classicist classicism arkitektur malmö malmø malmo sverige sweden facade swedish nordic scandinavia scandinavian neoclassicism arquitectura Architektur arquitetura Architettura Architectuur grave gravel colonnade jenskristianseier seier+seier creative commons CC
almegaarden farmhouse, lumsås, denmark 1951-1953.
architect: arne jacobsen (1902-1971).
final photo of this rarely seen jacobsen farmhouse showing the residential wing. about a dozen people lived and worked here when the project was completed. not so anymore.
much of jacobsen's landscaping around the residential wing is still extant. jacobsen's values were ultimately English, along the lines of steen eiler rasmussen's britisk brugskunst from 1933 (which has so very little to do with england of today), and gardens played a significant role in most of his projects. almegaarden remains a fine example.
windows and canopy are not original.
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rødovre town hall, 1952-1956.
architect: arne jacobsen, 1902-1971.
showing the detached council chamber in its park setting in front of the office part of the town hall.
this photo was uploaded with a CC license and may be used free of charge and in any way you see fit.
if possible, please name photographer "SEIER+SEIER". if not, don't.
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st. catherine's college, oxford, england 1959-1964.
architect: arne jacobsen, 1902-1971.
sculpture: barbara hepworth, 1903-1975.
the first lawn.
even if jacobsen's original planting was more formal, the balance here between repetitive architecture and freer, richer landscaping is typical of his modernism and, I guess, english in origin.
notice also how barbara hepworth's bronze plays much the same part in relation to the exterior as jacobsen's sculptural furniture does in the interior.
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