International Garden and Greenery Exposition

International Garden and Greenery Exposition is an international horticultural exposition that brought together botanical institutions, urban planners, landscape architects, and cultural organizations to showcase advances in plant technology, landscape design, and public recreation. The exposition attracted delegations from national botanical gardens, municipal authorities, university faculties, major horticultural societies, and private foundations, creating a platform for exchanges among practitioners associated with the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, Missouri Botanical Garden, and Brooklyn Botanic Garden. It intersected with initiatives linked to the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, the Food and Agriculture Organization, the International Union for Conservation of Nature, and the World Bank.

Overview

The exposition served as a venue for displays by participants such as the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, the Missouri Botanical Garden, the Singapore Botanic Gardens, the Royal Horticultural Society, the Gesellschaft für Gartenkunst, and the American Society of Landscape Architects, while attracting delegations from national ministries and city administrations including Tokyo Metropolitan Government, Shanghai Municipal Government, Seoul Metropolitan Government, and the City of Vienna. Exhibits spanned contributions from institutions like the Smithsonian Institution, the Natural History Museum, the National Botanic Garden of Belgium, the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh, and the Australian National Botanic Gardens, and showcased collections curated by the Garden Club of America, the International Federation of Landscape Architects, and the International Association of Horticultural Producers. Collaborations involved universities and research centers such as Harvard University Graduate School of Design, University of California, Berkeley College of Environmental Design, Wageningen University, Kyoto University, and ETH Zurich Department of Architecture. The exposition featured cultural programs aligned with festivals and organizations including the Venice Biennale, the Tokyo International Film Festival, the Edinburgh International Festival, the Paris Autumn Festival, and the Shanghai International Arts Festival.

History and Development

Origins were influenced by precedents such as the Great Exhibition, the Crystal Palace Exhibition, the World Expo, and horticultural shows organized by the Royal Horticultural Society and the Société Nationale d'Horticulture de France. Early planning engaged stakeholders from the International Association for Horticultural Production, the Bureau International des Expositions, the United Nations Environment Programme, and civic partners from cities including Osaka, Barcelona, Montreal, and Zaragoza. Funding and sponsorship drew on foundations and agencies like the Rockefeller Foundation, the Ford Foundation, the European Commission, the Asian Development Bank, and national cultural ministries such as the British Council, the Goethe-Institut, and the Japan Foundation. Design competitions were judged by juries including members from the Aga Khan Trust for Culture, the Getty Foundation, the Mellon Foundation, and the World Monuments Fund. Architectural and landscape proposals referenced work by practitioners from firms and offices associated with Norman Foster, Zaha Hadid, Kenzo Tange, Luis Barragán, Isamu Noguchi, Piet Oudolf, and Roberto Burle Marx.

Location and Site Design

The chosen site combined riverside promenades, reclaimed industrial land, and urban parkland, echoing redevelopment projects in areas like the Thames Gateway, the Ruhr, the Bund, and the High Line. Site planning incorporated principles developed by landscape architects from firms linked to James Corner, Michael van Valkenburgh, Martha Schwartz, and Hargreaves Associates, and referenced precedents such as Central Park, the Gardens of Versailles, Villa d'Este, and the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh. Infrastructure improvements coordinated with transport agencies including Transport for London, New York City Department of Transportation, Tokyo Metro, Seoul Metropolitan Subway, and Shanghai Metro, and involved engineers from Arup, AECOM, and WSP. Environmental assessments were informed by methodologies promoted by the World Wildlife Fund, Conservation International, the International Union for Conservation of Nature, and the Convention on Biological Diversity. Planting schemes and curated collections drew on exchanges with Kew, the Brooklyn Botanic Garden, Montreal Botanical Garden, Kirstenbosch National Botanical Garden, and the Singapore Botanic Gardens.

Exhibitions and Pavilions

National pavilions presented horticultural traditions and innovations from delegations such as the Government of Japan, the Government of China, the Government of the United Kingdom, the Government of France, the Government of Germany, the Government of Italy, as well as delegations from Canada, Australia, Brazil, South Africa, India, and Mexico. Specialized exhibits showcased collaborations with institutions including the Royal Horticultural Society, the Linnean Society, the Royal Society, the National Geographic Society, the British Museum, the Louvre, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, and the Getty Research Institute. Themed gardens were curated by designers associated with practitioners like Piet Oudolf, Dan Pearson, Tom Stuart-Smith, Gilles Clément, and Bernard Tschumi, and included displays on alpine flora, xeriscaping, wetland restoration, urban agriculture, and medicinal plant conservation. Program partners included academic units such as Yale School of Architecture, Columbia University GSAPP, University of Cambridge Department of Architecture, and the University of Tokyo, while cultural programming featured performances and commissions linked to the Barbican Centre, Southbank Centre, Lincoln Center, and the Sydney Opera House.

Legacy and Impact

The exposition influenced subsequent urban regeneration and conservation projects comparable to the High Line, HafenCity, Bilbao Guggenheim effect, and Singapore’s Gardens by the Bay, informing policy dialogues in forums convened by the United Nations Environment Programme, the United Nations Human Settlements Programme, and the European Commission Directorate-General for Environment. Participant organizations such as the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, Missouri Botanical Garden, and the Royal Horticultural Society reported new research collaborations, plant exchanges, and capacity-building initiatives with partners including the Millennium Seed Bank, Botanic Gardens Conservation International, the CGIAR network, and national botanical institutions in Brazil, South Africa, India, and China. The exposition’s influence extended to education and professional practice through curricula at institutions like Harvard GSD, Wageningen University, ETH Zurich, and the Royal College of Art, and shaped awards and recognition administered by bodies such as the Pritzker Architecture Prize jury, the Aga Khan Award for Architecture, the Stirling Prize, and the Chelsea Flower Show medal committees. Long-term impacts were cited in projects promoted by municipal agencies including the City of Melbourne, Barcelona City Council, City of Copenhagen, and the City of Vancouver, and in conservation efforts led by the World Wildlife Fund, Conservation International, and the International Union for Conservation of Nature.

Category:Horticultural exhibitions Category:Urban planning events