Radical Landscapes: Reinventing Outdoor Space [Hardcover]

Jane Amidon (Author), Kathryn E. Gustafson (Foreword)

Book Description

Publication Date: November 2001

"Radical Landscapes" presents over 60 projects by forward-looking landscape designers. Their use of innovative materials, unusual plants and unexpected forms offer alternative solutions to garden, backyard or outdoor space design. The book is organized into seven themes: light and colour, movement, order and objects, interaction, new contexts, urban interventions, and narrative. Each chapter is illustrated with works by designers and architects such as Fernando Garuncho, Kathryn Gustafson, Hiroki Hasegawa, Walter Hood and Adriaan Geuze.

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

A practicing landscape architect, Amidon (coauthor, Dan Kiley: The Complete Works of America's Master Landscape Architect, Bulfinch, 1999) surveys a variety of contemporary built landscapes in 15 countries, grouped under seven themes that are each explained in a scholarly essay. What makes these diverse projects so "radical"? They all confound conventional expectations of places like atria, parks, gardens, campuses, airports, private yards, flower shows, or expositions. As consistent alternate visions, each is thought-provoking, even inspirational, and some designs like the pools and fountains managing stormwater at the Sydney Olympic Games site may influence other ecological rescue projects. Hundreds of excellent captioned illustrations help the reader comprehend these designs; detailed project credits are included. Recommended for academic libraries supporting landscape architecture programs. David R. Conn, Surrey P.L., BC
Copyright 2001 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Review

Amidon has covered the globe to document projects that push well beyond the envelope....It is an exhilarating journey! -- Pacific Horticulture

As consistent alternate visions, each is thought-provoking, even inspirational, and some designs may influence other ecological rescue projects. -- Library Journal --This text refers to the Paperback edition.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 192 pages
• Publisher: Thames & Hudson (November 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 050051044X
• ISBN-13: 978-0500510445
• Product Dimensions: 10.7 x 9.9 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3.1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #413,603 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

37 of 44 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars a hodge podge pictorial, January 9, 2002

By 

Saul Boulschett "Anyway" (Dry land) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Radical Landscapes: Reinventing Outdoor Space (Hardcover)

There is nothing 'radical' about any of the projects here. Nice they are, I'll give you that. But only nice. Nothing a professional in the field could not come up with. The picture quality is less than tops, and there are even teeny-weeny unreadable B&W photos that are attached to supposedly famous names. It kind of gives you the impression that the author was either running out of material to fill the book with or had too many friends who wanted a piece of the action.
If the only thing in common that is supposed to hold all the projects under one roof is that they are all 'radical', well, the author ought to choose another word, even if a more etymological meaning was intended by it (Radix, Latin, root).
I bought it at full retail price and feel I've been jipped, but at half the price, I suppose it's worth having...It's a CATALOGUE, basically.

4.0 out of 5 stars Good Picture Book, March 25, 2008

By 

Paulo Waisberg (cleveland, OH USA) - See all my reviews
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Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Radical Landscapes: Reinventing Outdoor Space (Paperback)

There are some good landscape work. Nothing really extraordinary or really radical as you would expect from the title, but still a book with good ideas to inspire.

6 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Gardens Illustrated Review, April 30, 2002

By 

Benjamin Kleimer "JS" (Edwards, CO United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Radical Landscapes: Reinventing Outdoor Space (Hardcover)

From the Feb. 2002 issue of Gardens Illustrated magazine:
"...the book is a compelling and beautifully written discussion on contemporary landscape design. A book about any other field of design would probably not include the rather self-conscious word "radical" in the title, but its use here is indicative of the generally reactionary nature of most open space design... there are a few valient souls out there trying to change this state of affairs, and this book chronicles some of the best...Amidon writes, 'Among the creators of radical landscapes it is difficult to find common threads,' but her strategy is broadly successful in organizing this diverse selection of landscape designers and their work."