Borrowed Sceneries

The garden as inspiration

The garden embodies a condensed version of nature, just as, in Japanese philosophy, the entire world is thought to be reflected in a single dewdrop. This notion may be the inspiration for the Swiss imitation of Japanese gardens in the 20th century, the impetus for the incorporation of Japanese design elements more generally, and the conversion principle from alpine landscapes to Japanese stone gardens. Taking ten Swiss landscape architecture studios as examples, the author illustrates how they drew inspiration from miniaturized gardens (bonsai), borrowed scenery (shakkei), succumbed to the allure of the imperfect (wabi-sabi), and captured the spirit of Zen Buddhism. This book reveals parallels to the assimilation of Chinese influences in Japan and situates the phenomenon within the general reception of Japan in the West.

Attractive and previously unpublished visual materialsWell-researched content presented in a clear and appealing mannerJapanophilia in Swiss landscape architecture with a photoessay by Martin Linsi