The image above is the sidewalk along Copa Cabana Beach in Rio. Most have likely seen this, if they have ever seen a photo of Rio. However, I am sure few know who designed it. The designer was Roberto Burle Marx. Seen below, Marx transformed landscape design early last century. His hand as a painter, jeweler, and previous life as a Botanist contributed to a break down of the formality that had, before him, generally been the approach to landscape design.
With an encyclopedic knowledge of plant material, including some he himself discovered (and are named after him)...see below, understanding of texture, color, scale, balance, he created amazing gardens using mass plantings of color and textural contrast, water, hardscape and gravel. The results show a painterly organic approach to landscape design.
He has long been an inspiration for my work, which occasionally requires landscape design. And it is clear his work has influenced many landscape architects since. His influence on landscape design is everywhere.
These are a couple of plants in my office that he discovered. One being a philodendron and the other a fishbone prayer plant. I also pulled a couple of books I have on him in this photo.
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