Frederick Olmsted Influences

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Design Principals

Olmsted’s Influences Frederick Olmsted did not follow the gardening techniques of his time period. He did not like the term “landscape gardening” because he believed that he worked on a much larger scale than gardeners. His ideal of landscape architecture had very little to do with the arrangement of flower beds. Olmsted’s ideas were based mostly on his experiences as a child in New England and his travels abroad. His greatest influence was his father who took young Olmsted on trips around Connecticut and other parts of New England to find “the picturesque”. He also looked to the writings and teachings of Uredale Price, Richard Payne Knight, Humphrey Repton, and William Gilpin for inspiration.
The Seven “S’s” of Olmsted Design
Scenery
Olmsted believed that scenery was important even in small areas or areas that would be actively used. His work tended to produce a “perspective effect”. The perspective effect contrasted dark objects in the foreground with light objects farther away to increase the sense of space. He liked to develop sightlines that would draw visitors in both psychologically and visually.
Suitability
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He chose these particular styles to enhance the quality of nature and to elicit responses from viewers other than just an appreciation for the scenery. It was important, though, that there was a separation of areas designed with different styles. The “beautiful” or “pastoral” style was used to produce a soothing sense and to show the peacefulness of nature. Olmsted’s landscapes are known to evoke feelings of tranquility and relaxation. The pastoral style involved many unconscious processes. This unconscious influence is a very powerful effect of the scenery. One such example of these unconscious influences is the subtle direction of movement through the landscape; it is as though we are being led without knowing we are being
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