Since we’ve already discussed the merits of natural and synthetic wine corks, I feel we can confidently add modern landscape design our list of high brow topics. I’m not talking about skate plazas or the appropriation of public spaces. I’m talking about how Thomas Dolliver Church, the acclaimed author of Gardens are for People and the father of modern landscape architecture (California Style) who was widely credited with influencing garden and pool design with his influential free form pool in his most famous work, El Novillero. Truth is, he didn’t invent the kidney pool though. He most he was inspired by a visit to FInland’s Alvar Aalto Villa Mairea, which also featured a free form pool. That’s El Novillero above left, and Villa Mairea on the right. So there you have it. Kidney pools were invented in Finland in 1937, not in California, circa 1948.
[Source: Intercontinental Gardener] – Thanks to Jarno Väisänen for the tip.
4 comments
Livmo
The Finland pool looked empty and ready to roll
kilwag
@ mtm: I think he (bum) meant actual pools, and not skatepark bowls.
mtm
several cements parks throughout Finland complete with pools and bowls. open your little mind please.
burm
Fuck yeah! What’s funny is that that is probably the only kidney pool in the whole of Finland.