Roberto Burle Marx was one of the most influential landscape and garden designers of the twentieth century. His sweeping forms and painterly approach to planting were revolutionary when they first came to public attention in the 1930s, and many designers today owe his vision a great debt.
Born in 1909 in São Paulo, Burle Marx studied painting in Germany before returning to practise in Brazil. He was discovered by the great architect Lucio Costa and was later recognized by Le Corbusier and Oscar Niemeyer, with whom he created some of his most memorable works, including the magnificent Brasilia. Right up until his death he continued to organize expeditions to the jungle, where he discovered unknown species and collected them for cultivation in his immense nurseries.
This is the first major publication on Burle Marx in a decade. The author - herself a practising landscape architect - worked closely with him during the writing of the book, giving her unique insight into his life, ideas and work. The core of the book is twenty-six projects, presented through plans ' some redrawn from Burle Marx's originals for the first time ' specially commissioned photographs, planting schemes and Burle Marx's own paintings. The extensive reference section includes an exhaustive chronology and bibliography.publiarq.com