Phaidon’s ‘The Contemporary Garden’ Tracks Thirty Years of Experimental Landscapes

A new lens on the garden as design medium

The Contemporary garden, set to be published by PhaidonPresents a wide-ringing examination of garden design As a dynamic field of architectural, ecological, and cultural expression. Spanning more than 300 projects Completed Since the MID-1990s, the book Mrows alphabetically through the work of International Practitioners – From Solo Designers to Multidisciplinary Studios – Building Anna expert picture of the garden’s evolving Role in Contemporary Life.

Rather than organizing gardens by geography or chronology, the structure favors unexpected visual and conceptual juxtaposisations. A minimalist desert-trape in botswana sits along Each Project Entry is Accompanied by a Brief, Description and a Full-Color Photograph, Offering Insight into Both Context and International. Togeether, these case Studies Chart the Transformation of the Garden from Decorative Amenity to Spatial Laboratory.

The Contemporary Garden, Cover | Images Courtesy Phaidon

Scale and function reimagined in the Contemporary Garden

What distritions the varity of forms it embraces, many of which expand beyond the traditional bounds of Horticulture. The High Line in New York and Bosco Vertical in Milan Demonstrate How Planting Strategies Can Be Integrated at the Urban Scale and Across Vertical Surfaces, Whiler Smaller Interests Such as Jihahe H Hawangs Sculptural installation at Seoul Botanic Park Blur The Lines Between Landscape and Conceptual Art.

Projects featured in the book Often reflex a dialogue between architectural structure and ecological sensitivity. Terraced Surfaces, Concealed Infrastructure, and Water-Harvesting SWALES REVEAL A DESIGN LANGUAGE CONCERNED as MUCH with Sustainability as with Aesthetics. The Rooftop Garden at Khoo Teck Puat Hospital in Singapore and The Sloping Vegetated Plaza in South Korea’s Corporate Headquarters Both Demonstrate How Landscape Can Play A Performative Role in Large of wellness and environmental care.

The Contemporary Garden, Spread

A generational shift in practice

An Introduction by Garden Designer and Educator Annie guilfoyle Traces the risk of the New perennial Movement, Public Interest in Ecological Planting, and a General Loosening of Stylistic Constrants. The Volume Positions these shifts with the broader context of post-industrial reuse and communication-line design. Form Maggie’s centers In the UK to Assmble’s Granby Winter Garden in Liverpool, The Featured Works Signal How Gardens are Being Used For Therapeutic, Educational, and Communal purposes.

The inclusion of gardens like the Rooftop Urban farm in brooklynProducing Over 70,000 pounds of Organic Produce Annually, Emphasizes the garden’s expanded utility in the 21st century. Others, Such as Stefano Assogna’s Podere Casanuova Di Sicelle, Demonstrate a Refined Approach to Mediterranean Resilience and Planting Typologies Grunded in Natural Systemss.

The Contemporary Garden, Spread

With a graphic design by melanie mues, the book maintains a consistent visual rhythm across more than 330 pages. Its Sequencing Encourage Visual Comparisons without overwhelming the reader, and its editorial tone balances concise description with themetic framing. Contributors Include Respected Voices in Horticulture and Design Journalism – Sorrel Everton, Tovah Martin, and Michael Micccoy Among Them – Each Bringing a layer of expertise to the survey.

While Grounded In Horticulture, The Volume Consistent Interstes with Architecture, Particularly Through Collabrations Between Landscape Designers and Architects Such as heatherwic studio and olin. These projects explore how material thresholds, sightlines, and circulation paths are shaped by planting decisions and spatial choreography.

Australian Garden, Taylor Cullity Lethlean With Paul Thompson, Cranbourne Gardens, Victoria, Australia, 2006, 2012

Orpheus, Kim Wilkie for the 10th Duke of Buccleuch, Boughton House, Kettering, Nortamptonshire, England, 2009