1999 - 2000

Tuin Makeblijde: Looking for Jane

1999 - 2000

Tuin Makeblijde: Looking for Jane

A garden is a fenced off piece of cultured land. In the past, a garden was often surrounded by wilderness. In this garden, we turn things around; the garden is a fenced of piece of wilderness in the Makeblijde garden.

Location

Houten

Client

Makeblijde Tuin

The site of Makeblijde was originally an abandoned schoolyard. The mysterious atmosphere it had was the starting point of the design. ‘Looking for Jane’ is a mysterious place that tempts visitors to explore. A rugged wooden fence appears from a distance as a black box in the surrounding orchard. While looking for the entrance, the visitor literally beats around the bush, to finally find a swiveling piece of fence, through which he can enter the garden. Once inside, the visitor makes his way through a jungle of wild vegetation of the former schoolyard, enriched with exotic garden plants. There are no pathways. The ground is covered with a thick layer of tree bark. Between the plants, cocoons are suspended, creating the illusion that new life could hatch at any moment.

The micro climate that is created by the high black fence and a water nebula, enhances the growth conditions for the exotic plants and gives the garden a jungle feeling. Balancing on tree trunks, or a narrow bridge, the visitor can cross over to the other side of the jungle. On the west side, the fence has a double wall and a roof. It seems like a subterranean space with fog rising through the cracks of the floor. In the evening, the space is lit with a green light. Hanging ropes transform into a forest of vines. Between the vines swings are hanging, on which the visitor can observe the garden through a peeping hole.