In the XXXIIIrd Curset organised by AADIPA for this year 2010, we want to make an immersion into the world of gardens.

According to the 1981 Florence Chart (maximum legislation in this area), historic gardens are defined as: “an architectural and vegetal composition that from the standpoint of history or art, has a public interest and so it’s considered a monument.”
The Catalan, Spanish and International legislation in heritage matters include them amongst the figures with maximum protection.

We would like to review the history of the restaurations made on this unique architecture, that’s why we’ll have interventions in different kind of gardens: Islamic, French, English, Baroque, Neoclassical, Romantic, Modernist, Cubist and contemporary.

It’s well known that a garden restoration is an interdisciplinary project in which many experts become involved. For this reason we’d like to have every point of view. Local and international professionals will explain their experiences in areas as diverse as: history, legislation, uses, botany, agronomy, geology, lighting, hydrology, maintenance, topography, major and minor architecture...

We’ll see how many gardens have grown from a private use to a public one. Because they are ephemeral, built with vegetation, which has a life cycle (they are born, grow and die), they need a constant maintenance and renewal. We’ll learn about the importance of knowing the compositive elements of each garden: their relief, the vegetation type, water theme (source - backup - distribution), the architectural or sculptural elements... to act wisely.

We aim to know what tools we have to preserve, restore or enlarge gardens, while maintaining their spirit, the spatial or conceptual unity of the moment in time when they were created.
All this involves a series of difficulties that will make the Curset a discussion workshop between the various professionals concerned.
We’d like to generate solutions to better address the problems that arise when working with such fragile heritage.

Carme Riu Canal, architect
AADIPA - XXXIII Curset Director