Calder Gardens: Drawings and Texts by Jacques Herzog

A rare glimpse into the mind of Jacques Herzog, 'Calder Gardens: Drawings and Texts by Jacques Herzog' traces the poetic and probing journey behind a visionary cultural landmark where architecture, art, and landscape meet.

A rare glimpse into the mind of Jacques Herzog, Calder Gardens: Drawings and Texts by Jacques Herzog traces the poetic and probing journey behind a visionary cultural landmark where architecture, art, and landscape meet.

Calder Gardens: Drawings and Texts by Jacques Herzog gives unique insights into the creative process that led to the architectural realization of the Calder Gardens in Philadelphia—a new cultural destination that brings together the visionary architecture of Herzog & de Meuron and the meticulous garden design of Piet Oudolf to celebrate the human spirit through Alexander Calder’s art.

This large-format publication invites readers to look over Jacques Herzog’s shoulder during the development of the project. Numerous sketches and drawings are grouped into ten chapters, from “Vertical Stacks of Fragments” to “The Underground Is Not Innocent,” each accompanied by an equally personal short text. As Herzog writes in the preface, “The drawings express uncertainty and doubt, perhaps also enthusiasm in moments when they made me believe I was reaching a new step in finding out what the architectural and sculptural identity of the project was going to be.” A selection of collages and study models round out this deep-dive into the acclaimed architect’s working method, artistic intelligence, and questioning, creative approach.