Fredrick Law Olmsted Introduction to Landscape Architecture

INTRODUCTION

BIOGRAPHY

Fredric Law Olsmted (April 26, 1822 – August 28, 1903)

Fredric Law Olsmted was born April 26, 1822, Hartford, Conn., U.S. – died August 28, 1903, Brookline,

Mass. Olmsted attended the Philips Academy, Yale university. He is an American landscape architect,

journalist, social critic and public administrator. He is popularly known to be the father of American

landscape architecture. Olmsted was famous for co – designing many well-known urban parks with his

senior partner Calvart Vaux, including Central park in New York City.[CITATION Wik \l 1033 ]

BOOKS

Fredrick Law Olmsted published quite a number of books, these include:

i. Walks and Talks of an American Farm in 1852.

ii. A Journey in the Seaboard Slave States in 1856.

iii. A Journey through Texas in 1857.

iv. A Journey in the Back Country in 1860.

v. The Cotton Kingdom in 1861.

PROFESSIONAL PRACTICE (DESIGN)

Amongst the projects Olmsted did during his time include:

i. Central Park New York City.

ii. Niagara Reservation in Niagara Falls, New York.

iii. Riverside, Illinois.

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Fredrick Law Olmsted Introduction to Landscape Architecture

iv. Mount Royal Park in Montreal, Quebec.

v. Emerald Necklace in Boston, among others.

Central Park, New York City:

Fredrick Law Olmsted and a British architect Calvert Vaux designed Central Park, which has been a

national historic landmark since 1962, after winning a design competition. This was amongst the first

projects Olmsted did in his early life. Central Park is an urban park in Manhattan, New York City, U.S.

state of New York. It comprises of 843 acres (341 ha) between the Upper West Side and Upper East Side.

Central park is the most visited urban park in the United States, with 40 million visitors in 2013 and one

of the filmed locations in the world.

The pond and Hallett Nature Sanctuary in the park’s southeast corner.

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The park was established in 1857 on 778 acres (315 ha) of land acquired by the city. In 1858, Olmsted

and Calvert Vaux won a design competition to improve and expand the pack with a plan they titled

“Greensward Plan”. Construction began the same year and the park’s first area was opened to the public

in the winter of 1858. Construction of the north side of the park continued during the American civil war

in the 1960s and the park was expanded to its current size in 1973.

The Niagara Falls State Park:

Niagara Falls State Park is a state park in the city of Niagara Falls in Niagara County, New York, United

States. The park is recognized as the oldest state park in the United States, contains the American Falls,

the Bridal Veil Falls and a portion of the Horseshoe Falls (also known as the Canadian Falls).

Niagara Falls State Park’s overlook of the American Falls with the Horseshoe Falls in the distance

Mount Royal:

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Fredrick Law Olmsted Introduction to Landscape Architecture

Mount Royal is a large volcanic-related hill or small mountain in the city of Montreal, immediately west

of Downtown Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Mount Royal gave its name to Montreal. The hill is part of the

Monteregian Hills situated between the Laurentians and the Appalachian Mountains. The hill consists of

three peaks: Colline de la Croix (or Mont Royal proper) at 233 m (764 ft), Colline d'Outremont (or Mount

Murray, in the borough of Outremont) at 211 m (692 ft), and Westmount Summit at 201 m (659 ft)

elevation above mean sea level.

Mount Royal’s eastern slope.

Some Pictures of Works done by Olmsted.

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Central park:

Bathesda Terrace and Garden

Hec

kscher Playground and Skyline from Rat Rock

Pan

oramic View of Central Park from Rockefeller Center

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Fredrick Law Olmsted Introduction to Landscape Architecture

Central Park Panorama

Great Lawn before renovation in 1970s

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Fredrick Law Olmsted Introduction to Landscape Architecture

Renovated Bathesda Fountain plaza in 2010

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