The Landscape Architecture of Roberto Burle Marx

A 57 MINUTE DOCUMENTARY FILM

BY ZARA MUREN ASLA 1989

Roberto Burle Marx (1909-1994) gave birth to the profession of landscape architecture in Brazil, and remained its pre-eminent practitioner throughout his life. Combining the sensibility of an artist and painter as his lens, a great knowledge of native plants for his palette, and a profound humanitarian purpose to guide him, he breathed new life into the urban environment.

He was very prolific, completing some 1,700 schemes, and working in various kinds of settings and many quarters of Brazil. Because of the striking beauty and user-friendly character of his designs, many of them in the public realm, he became nationally renowned and beloved. Internationally the example of his work has inspired fellow environmental designers. The magnitude of his contribution was recognized by the American Society of Landscape Architects in 1985 when he was awarded the ASLA Medal.

This film is a living record of the work and ideas of the great Brazilian design visionary made toward the end of his career. Through on-camera interviews with Burle Marx, his artistic aspirations and humanist values are exposed, setting a framework for understanding his work. Sources of inspiration and design drawings are shown, illuminating his creative process.

We explore a diverse selection of 11 projects including the Monteiro Residence, Copacabana Promenade, Flamengo Park, the Gomes Residence, IBM and Itarmarity Palace. The photography captures the lyrical and dynamic quality of Burle Marx compositions and their living reality in use. In the final sequence Burle Marx takes us to his home, garden and nursery at Sitio Santo Antonio da Bica - site of his most daring design experiments and some of his most perfectly realized work.

"This is a remarkably sensitive and fine film about a seminal figure in the field of landscape architecture. Burle Marx, in far away Brazil carved out a whole new way of designing gardens which has influenced generations of landscape architects. His early work with Master architects Le Corbusier and Neimeyer forged a remarkable synthesis between public buildings and their gardens. The film illustrates some of his most significant projects, and also leads us behind the scenes into his personal and professional life." Lawrence Halprin, Landscape Architect FASLA San Francisco, California

"This is a splendid guide to a staggering body of work. The genius of Roberto Burle Marx is everywhere evident." William H. Whyte, Director of The Street Life Project New York City