2018 ASLA GENERAL DESIGN AWARD OF HONOR: Longwood Gardens Main Fountain Garden by West 8 Urban Design & Landscape Architecture

“精彩至极的项目。为喷泉赋予如此现代的元素，这大概就是创造力的完美体现。”
-2018年评审委员会

“Brilliant. To do something so contemporary in the fountains, like the way the lighting works. That’s where I think the creativity comes in”
– 2018 Awards Jury

来自 ASLA 对gooood的分享。
Longwood Gardens Main Fountain Garden by West 8 Urban Design & Landscape Architecture

项目陈述
PROJECT STATEMENT

主喷泉花园的更新项目是在Longwood公园初始整体规划的基础上完成的。尽管Pierre du Pont最初的非凡设计曾经获得过诸多荣誉，但出于设施陈旧的原因，喷泉花园还是经历了重新设计。它在公园中起着关键性的作用，因为它是人们在游览1.077英亩的花园时最先进入的区域，当然也是最为引人注目的一个区域。在该项目中，拥有83年历史的喷泉设施以最先进的技术获得了改造，花园的游客路径和园艺设计也变得更加完善，呈现出焕然一新的面貌。一系列的改造举措彰显了该项目成为世界最优质花园之一的愿景，在以游客为导向的前提下，将传统的设计观念与可持续的现代设计方法以及使用需求结合起来，不仅实现了主喷泉花园的修复和更新，还充分维护了Longwood公园既有的特征和辨识度。

The Main Fountain Garden revitalization builds upon Longwood’s first-ever physical master plan, which was completed by the landscape architect in 2011. The original astonishing design by Pierre du Pont was honored, and yet, the fountain garden was re-imagined. It plays a key role in the park as it is the first and most dramatic encounter of the vast gardens which span 1.077 acres. The 83-year-old fountain infrastructure has been replaced with the latest technology, visitor’s access to the garden and horticultural elements are improved and make the fountain garden an entirely new experience. These changes are in line with the garden’s ambition of becoming one of the greatest gardens in the world. While the restoration included corporeal retrofits, it is the visitor-oriented design approach that truly brings it closer to its goal. The Fountain Garden is coherent throughout and manages to merge traditional design and values with sustainable, contemporary design practices and needs alike. The Main Fountain Garden achieves a renaissance for the gardens while retaining its identity as recognizably “Longwood”.

▲Longwood Gardens致力于成为世界上品质最高的花园之一。修复后的主喷泉花园成为了公园中最为引人注目的场所。The Longwood Main Fountain Garden.The Longwood Main Fountain Garden. Longwood Gardens aspires to be one of the best gardens in the world. The reimagined Main Fountain Garden is its most fantastic encounter.

项目说明
PROJECT NARRATIVE

Longwood公园坐落在宾夕法尼亚的Brandywine山谷，与费城距离很近。公园的历史十分丰富，可以追溯到18世纪：它由Pierre du Pont在1970年建造，最初只是一个单一的花园，但很快受到了人们的欢迎，后来又在众多游客的支持下逐渐扩大规模，花园的面积和种类也逐年增加。1927年，主喷泉花园正式建成。

该项目的设计是在Longwood公园初始整体规划的基础上进行的，于2011年完工。Longwood公园致力于通过优质的花园设计、园艺、教育以及艺术来启发参观者。该项目的总体规划充分体现了这一愿景，最终使Longwood成为了一个“向所有人开放的世外桃源”。改造计划的实施同样以保护公园历史遗产为前提，对一系列关键性的问题提出了解决方案，例如如何应对不断增多的访客，如何处理组织不善的路径以及陈旧而不堪重负的基础设施等等。

项目将Pierre du Pont的设计精髓提炼出来，并对场地的历史和现状进行了超过三年的调研。景观设计团队将公园既有的丰富传统与Pierre du Pont的工程师背景结合起来，提出了一系列富有创新性的方案。同样，这种革新与传承并存的设计方法将在接下来的40年间继续影响Longwood公园的运作和规划。设计团队清楚地知道，一座伟大的花园不可能在一夜之间铸就，它所遗留下来的价值需要随着时间的推移慢慢地得到升华和揭示。

建成于1927年的主喷泉花园展示了当时最先进的建造技术。归功于明智的改造方法和对细节的高度关注，如今的花园再次享有了这种地位：新的系统为花园赋予了更加强大的功能，它作为1077英亩的Longwood公园中最引人注目的场所，将为到访它的人们带来十足的心灵震撼。

Longwood公园，尤其是主喷泉花园的不足之处在于其可达性。整个景观中只有屈指可数的几条路径能够引导人们漫步和探索花园。经过改造之后，主喷泉花园和其余的花园都拥有了更加便捷的通道，从而为游客带来了更加亲密和吸引人的参观体验。其中特别值得一提的是，在过去二十年间一直处于关闭状态的南面墙壁如今重新向公众开放，游客们也得以再次欣赏到二十个壁挂式喷泉的美景。在面积为5英亩的主喷泉花园中，共有4000件意大利石灰岩雕塑得到了修复。拥有83年历史的喷泉设施以最新技术进行了改造，并且没有对喷泉的完整性造成任何破坏。现代化的系统能够为380个喷泉输送30万加仑的水，使喷泉得以在一年中运行更长的时间，并获得更加优越的性能。此外，该系统还能为游客带来惊人的视觉体验，例如高达175英尺的水射流。得益于喷水设备的可控性，改造后的喷泉可以产生形态独特的水柱，实现旋转和弯曲效果，以及时下最先进的火焰效果。更新后的照明系统还能够通过色彩更加丰富的LED灯来提高喷泉表演的观赏性。

除了整体规划外，花园中还增加了新的元素，例如可从两侧凉廊进入的洞穴。它由一个拱形的中央大厅构成，大厅的中央设有一个圆形的水幕。洞穴内部靠自然光照亮，石灰石材质的格栅墙和圆形顶洞使光线氛围变得昏暗而神秘。新建成的格构桥与喷泉平台相连，游客们可以从这里俯瞰周围的其他花园。主喷泉花园内还增设了新的休息区域，包括沿着喷泉分布的座位墙以及位于格构桥后方的桌椅。水泵站的大厅也得到了修复，如今用于陈列和展示花园旧泵站（从1931年至2014年间为花园供电）的一些原始物件。

经过强化的园艺展示和充分扩大的无障碍步行区域使整体景观得到了完善。相邻的剪型植物花园和创意花园中铺设了新的石子路，将主喷泉花园连接到更广阔的公园环境当中。花园的主要路径两侧分布着超过2500棵高大繁茂的黄杨树，与du Pont所在的时代相比，这些“绿美人”的身姿变得更加挺拔。原先气势压人的挪威枫树被更换为欧洲小叶椴——该品种常见于巴黎和凡尔赛的大型花园。主喷泉公园长椅的设计灵感同样来源于此，对人体工程学和风格造型进行了当代化的诠释。

Longwood公园可以获取的水源十分有限，因此高效的水资源管理系统就变得至关重要。花园所需的电能中有近50%来源于太阳能电池板，其余的来自水力发电站。节约能源的宗旨贯穿了整个规划的实施过程，为的是最大程度地节约和利用宝贵的能源。

自2009年起担任Longwood公园的总体规划以来，West 8 Urban Design & Landscape Architecture对公园的文化背景、运营模式、传统和季节等各个方面进行了充分的调研，并走遍了1000英亩场地中的每个角落。喷泉花园的修复是景观团队与水体设计咨询公司、建筑维护团队以及砖石修复专业人员共同完成的，因此，该项目也为类似的跨学科项目提供了一个示范性的原型。各种定制的细节避免了历史主义和媚俗感，以充满现代气息的方式提升了花园的品质。花园中的休息区域时而荫蔽在树下，时而又袒露在阳光中，与穿插在其中的座位和水景共同带来有趣而舒适的参观体验。总体上看，该项目不仅实现了主喷泉花园的修复和更新，还充分维护了Longwood公园既有的特征和辨识度。

▲从凉廊上可以俯瞰到喷泉花园的壮观景色。View along the loggia. From atop the loggia magnificent views over the Fountain Garden unfold.

▲在新的喷泉花园中，游客们可随时与喷泉产生互动，与之前可达性较低的设计形成了明显的对比。People resting on a fountain’s edge. Amidst the fountain garden, visitors get the opportunity to interact with the fountains. This is a significant difference to the inaccessible previous design.

▲俯瞰喷泉花园的草坪。游客们如今可以自由地在草地上和喷泉周围休息和玩乐。Overview over the Fountain Garden Lawns. The Main Fountain Garden is now widely accesssible: Both the lawn and the fountains invite visitors to engage.

▲喷泉附近的凉廊后方是一个休闲平台，游客们可以坐下来分享他们的经历。The terrace with the restored fountain. Behind the loggia in close proximity to the Fountains, visitors are invited to sit and share their experiences.

▲游客们可以沿着喷泉漫步，也可以在定制的长椅上休息。The Triple next to the fountains. Visitors may both stroll along the fountains or sit on the custom designed benches.

▲喷泉花园的凉廊可以通过带有宽阔走道的新建钢结构进入。The Fountain Garden Loggia. The Loggia has been made accessible by means of a new steel structure with broad walkway.

▲新置入的洞穴等待着人们去接近和发现。The Grotto. The new grotto seems like it has always just been waiting to be discovered.

▲拂晓时的主喷泉花园，缤纷而细腻的灯光营造出迷人的氛围。The Main Fountain Garden at dawn. At dawn, the colorful yet subtle light effects set the garden in scene.

▲游客们聚集在草坪上，等待着夜晚的喷泉表演。Visitors gathering on the lawn at dawn. Before the fountain show in the evening, people gather on the lawn to get a good view.

▲烟花和喷泉表演。新的系统可以喷射175英尺高的水柱，比原先的设备高出了45英尺。Fireworks and fountain show at dawn. New water jets can project water 175 feet in the air, 45 feet higher than the previous capabilities.

▲修复后的喷泉通过独特的灯光被置于场景之中。Completely restored fountains with unique capabilities. Without exception, every fountain is set in scene by illumination.

▲时下最先进的火焰效果营造出一种超现实的体验。The state-of-the-art flame feature in action. The state-of-the-art flame feature of the fountains creates a surreal atmosphere.

▲夜间的喷泉表演。原先的照明系统被更换为强大的LED系统，带来前所未有的视觉冲击。Fountain show at night. The lighting system was replaced with modern, powerful LEDs, setting the fountains in scene like never before.

▲主喷泉花园与周边环境形成了良好的融合。The main fountain garden has been integrated with care into the surrounding environment.

PROJECT NARRATIVE

Longwood Gardens is located in the Brandywine valley of Pennsylvania, close to the city of Philadelphia. Their history is rich and reaches into the 18th century. Formally founded by Pierre S. du Pont in 1907, Longwood Gardens started out as a single flower garden which quickly soared in popularity. Encouraged by the many delighted visitors, the founder decided to expand. Ever since, the area and variety of gardens increased year by year. In 1927, construction of the Main Fountain Garden was concluded.

The design team’s work on the Main Fountain Garden builds upon Longwood’s first-ever physical master plan, which was completed by the landscape architect in 2011. Longwood Gardens strives to inspire people through excellence in garden design, horticulture, education, and the arts. The master plan embodies this aspiration and reflects the vision of the gardens to become ‘a world apart, a place accessible to all’. It is a visionary document tasked with transforming it into one of the greatest gardens in the world. The plans for transformation are balanced by a safeguarding of Longwood’s historic legacy. Meanwhile, they provide solutions for a number of critical concerns, such as growing visitation, aging facilities, disorganized logistics and overburdened infrastructure. The aim was to harmonize the design of the garden’s public spaces with the original design, to enhance the Main Fountain Garden’s horticultural elements and to create new gardens that would provide enhanced amenities for Longwood’s guests.

The spirit of founder Pierre du Pont has been distilled, and knowledge and understanding of the place and its history were accumulated over three years. The revealed richness of tradition in combination with an appropriation of du Pont’s engineering background informed the design choices towards infrastructural improvements, which are the drivers for the innovative landscape design. In return, innovation and legacy would be the drivers for the next 40 years of design, operations and planning at Longwood. The design team is well aware that great gardens are not created overnight. This awareness was fundamental to the planning process and, consequentially, the legacy of the gardens will be strengthened and revealed gradually over time.

Upon its creation in 1927, the Main Fountain Garden was a state-of-the-art construction. Thanks to the sensible approach and the high attention to detail during the revitalization project, the garden can enjoy this status once again. The new system offers more power and a wider range of programs, which will only incite greater awe amongst the visitors. The Main Fountain Garden is now the most dramatic encounter in the 1,077 acres of gardens at Longwood.

Longwood Gardens, and the Main Fountain Garden in particular, were missing one important characteristic: accessibility. Only a few paths spun across the landscape and invited people to take a stroll and explore the gardens in their entirety. Like the rest of the park, the Main Fountain Garden now offers better access for guests, which makes their experience in the gardens much more intimate and engaging. Especially the elegant south wall with its twenty wall-mounted fountains, which was closed for the public for the last twenty years. Throughout the five-acre main Fountain Garden, 4,000 pieces of carved Italian limestone were completely restored. The 83-year-old fountain infrastructure was replaced with the latest technology without harming the integrity of the work. The modern systems pump 300,000 gallons of water around 380 fountains, allowing for a more efficient performance and longer running time during the year. It also offers new choreographies that include water jets up to a height of 175 feet. Due to increased control over the jets, they are programmed to perform unique undulating, spinning, and flexing effects as well as a state-of-the-art flame feature. Thanks to the replacement of the old lighting system, the water shows can be emphasized with a more colorful LED-system.

In line with the master plan, new innovative additions were also made, such as the Grotto, which can be entered from passageways on either side of the loggia. It is composed of a vaulted central hall with a circular water curtain in its center. The grotto is lit by natural light that is allowed to enter the space through a limestone lattice-like wall and an oculus – keeping the light dim and offering a sense of mystery. It fits right in and seems as if it has always been hiding there. A newly constructed trellis bridge connects to the fountain terrace and allows guests to look over the surrounding gardens. The Main Fountain Garden also features new seating areas, including a seating wall along the fountain and a seating area with tables and chairs is located behind the trellis bridge. The lobby of the pump house was renovated and is now home to original exhibits from the pump system that powered the garden from 1931 till 2014. The overall landscape has been improved as by means of enhanced horticultural displays and expanded fully accessible walking areas. The Main Fountain Garden was stitched into the greater context by creating new gravel path connectors to the neighboring Topiary Garden and Idea Garden. The major pathways are lined with over 2500 billowing and verdant boxwoods by the name of “Green Beauty”. They are only slightly more voluminous than they used to be in du Pont’s times. The invasive Norway Maples were replaced with Tilia Cordata “Greenspire”, a Linden variety as seen in the great gardens of Paris and Versailles. This is also where the new Fountain Garden benches find their inspiration, combined with contemporary understandings of ergonomics and style.

Longwood Gardens has limited access to water sources and hence an efficient water management system is crucial. The electricity for the gardens is produced up to 50% by local solar panels, while the rest is purchased from hydro-electric power plants. During the planning, energy efficient thinking was omnipresent, in order to make most of the precious energy.

The landscape architect had the privilege of serving as master planners and landscape architects at Longwood Gardens since 2009. During this time, the team has gotten to know the culture, staff, traditions and seasons at Longwood, and walked every corner of the 1000-acre site. The Fountain Garden rehabilitation was performed in collaboration with a water design consultancy, preservation architects and masonry restoration experts, and as such, it created a new model for how interdisciplinary projects such as these can unfold. The gardens were endowed with custom details that are neither historicist nor kitsch, but rather bring a contemporary flair to the fountain garden which can be recognized in the details throughout the garden. In order to enhance the overall visiting experience, the design encompasses opportunities to relax in the shadows or the sun, to sit down and to touch and feel the water. In a nutshell, Longwood’s Main Fountain Garden achieves a renaissance for the garden while retaining its identity as recognizably “Longwood.”

More: ASLA ; West 8 Urban Design & Landscape Architecture