- -.. - ~ :..- t : ' I._ I THE GARDENS OF ROBERTO BURLE MARX SIMA ELIOVSON I FOREWORD BY ROBERTO BURLE MARX
THE GARDENS OF ROBERTO BURLE MARX Sima Eliovson Acclaimed as "the real creator of the modem garden" by the American Institute of Architeds, Roberto Burle Marx has influenced garden designers around the world. This fascinating book-filled with 170 photographs, plans, and drawings of his incomparable landscapes with their bold, flowing shapes, mosaic pavings, and great sweeps of colorful plants-is the only authorized study of the life and work of one of the world's greatest living landscape architects. Born in Sao Paulo, Brazil, in 1909, Burle Marx studied painting at The National School of Fine Arts in Rio de Janeiro, and he remains a practicing and successful artist to this day. His gardens reveal his painterly vision of the landscape, as well as his profound love and knowledge of the rich flora of Brazil. The late Sima Eliovson traces Burle Marx's long and illustrious career from his first private commissions in the 1930s to his spectacular urban landscapes in Rio and Brasilia, where he worked with LeCorbusier, Lucia Costa, Oscar Niemeyer, and other leading architects and city planners. Burle Marx made his working plans and photographs available for this book, which describes and illustrates such important public commissions as the splendid Flamengo Park, the mosaic walkways at Copacabana Beach, and the grounds of the Museum of Modem Art, all in Rio; the Parque del Este in Caracas, Venezuela; the renovation of Biscayne Boulevard in Miami, Florida; and includes intimate views of his imaginative and lovely private gardens as well. The work of Roberto Burle Marx is considered the strongest single influence on gardens since the development of the English garden tradition in the eighteenth century. Famous gardens like that at Walt Disney's Epcot Center, visited by millions, have drawn inspiration for their landscape designs and modeled their horticultural schools on his principles. This comprehensive account of Burle Marx's gardens illumines their unique beauty, which has captured the admiration of so many garden lovers worldwide. Rounding out the volume is a complete listing of Burle Marx landscape commissions and a glossary of botanical names of the plants used in his gardens. 170 illustrations, including 163 plates in full color lstltuto Unlversltorlo Archltetturo Venezia VSA 297 I Servizio Bibliogra1ico Audiovi~vo e di Documentazione
' i I t The Gardens of Roberto Burle Marx Sima Eliovson Foreword by Roberto Burle Marx HARRY N. ABRAMS, INC./SAGAPRESS, INC. New York
Contents Foreword by Roberto Burle Marx 7 Introduction 9 The Man and His Background PART ONE 1. The Place 13 2. The Man 21 3. The Personality 31 4. Art, Style, Philosophy and Ideas 41 5. The Plantsman 55 6. The Method 67 The Gardens-In Approximate Chronological Order 7. The Sitio (1949-1989) 81 8. Flamengo Park, The Museum of Modern Art (1954) and Copa cabana (1970) 9 7 9. Residence Luis Cesar Fernandez, formerly of Odette Monteiro (1948 & 1988) 105 10. Residence Olivo Gomes, Sao Jose dos Campos (1950 & 1962) 109 11. Residence Ralph Camargo, Teresopolis, formerly of Alberto Kronsforth (1955 & 1988) 115 12. Hospital Da Lagoa, formerly Sul-America, Rio (1955) 119 13. Manchete Building, Rio de Janeiro (1969) 123 14. Petrobras Building, Rio de Janeiro (1972) 127 15. Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Brasilia (1965 & 1988) 133 16. Ministry of Justice, Brasilia (1970) 139 17. Triangular Garden, Ministry of the Army, Brasilia (1970) 141 18. Tribunal de Contas da Uniao, Brasilia (1972) 145 19. Bank of Brazil, Brasilia, DF (1973) 147 20. Residence Vice-President of the Republic, Brasilia (1975) 149 21. Summer Residence, Nininha Magalhaes Lins, Rio de Janeiro (1974 & 1988) and Town House, Nininha Nabuco Lins, Rio 155 22. BNDES Building, Rio de Janeiro (1974) 159 23. Residence Hans Broas, Sao Paulo, SP (1975) 163 24. Banco Safra, Rua Bela Cintra, S.A. Sao Paulo, SP (1982) 165 25. Sao Luiz Participa~oes, S.A. Sao Paulo, SP (1983-1985) 169 26. Residences of the Colombo Family, Rio de Janeiro (1982-1983) 173 27. Centro Empresarial, Botafogo Bay, Rio de Janeiro (1981-1982) 177 28. Chaim Weizmann Square, Rio (1983) 179 29. Residence Raul de Souza Martins, Petropolis (1983-1988) 181 30. Caemi Foundation, Rio de Janeiro (1985) 189 31. Persiana Pan American, Rio de Janeiro (1987) 193 32. Residence Stehlin, Vale de Boa Esperanza (1988) 197 33. Fazenda Vargem Grande, Areias (1984-1989) 201 PART TWO Appendix A: Glossary of Plants in the Text 211 Appendix B: Significant Landscape Projects 221 Index 233
ISBN 0-8109-3357-8 90000 9 780810 933576