Cultural Encounters of Landscape Architects Xiaoxiang Sun and Lawrence Halprin

Abstract

“From nature to nature” is the major goal of landscape design. The former is the idea of nature, i.e., landscape architects regard nature as the archetype of design; the latter is the experience of nature, i.e., landscape architects hope people can perceive the natural atmosphere through designed landscape. In this sense, the transformation from idea to experience of nature refers to the process of landscape design, which materializes landscape. According to this, this article focuses on the following topics: 1) what role does nature play as the origin of the landscape design theory; 2) how does nature as an idea promote form-giving in landscape design; and 3) what aesthetic experience does designed landscape create. This article draws on two influential landscape architects, Xiaoxiang Sun and Lawrence Halprin, and analyzes their theories and works from the perspective of comparative culture, including the idea of nature and its representation, the inherent mechanism of form-giving in landscape design, and the experience created by designed landscape. It aims to explore the intellectual potentials for contemporary landscape architecture theory through comparing the discrepancies and similarities of the two masters’ paths of landscape design.

Keywords

Landscape Design / Idea of Nature / Representation / Form-giving / Experience / Aesthetics / Landscape Architecture

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2023 Higher Education Press