Bilbao, Spain, has noteworthy architecture and has been on my list of must-see places for a while. Now, I have yet another reason for wanting to visit. This stunning garden – dubbed The Flowing Garden – was created by the New York-based landscape and urban design office of Balmori Associates.
Called the “Garden That Climbs The Steps,” Balmori Associates describes the garden:
“The garden climbs the stairs, running in undulating lines of different textures and colors. Envisioned as a dynamic urban space, it moves in time and with the seasons. Its lush planting cascades down as though the garden is flowing or melting, bleeding the colors into each other. In one gesture, it narrates a story of landscape taking over and expanding over the Public Space and Architecture, therefore transforming the way that the stairs and the space are perceived and read by the user.
Balmori Associates is doing a lot of work in Bilbao. In a city of contrasts, it is both medieval and elegant, modern and contemporary. They are working on a master plan that ties together the old part of town anchored by the 14th-century Gothic Santiago Cathedral and the Frank O. Gehry-designed Guggenheim Museum, which anchors a more contemporary side to the city.
I love what the designers have to say about their own creation: “Like the famous Spanish Steps in Rome, the garden is not only designed for visitors to ascend and descend but for them to linger and just be.”
images by Iwan Baan
Interesting. I’m not sure what i think about it…it seems more like a sculpture than a garden.
I think it looks awesome – what a great way to break up the concrete and have something visually interesting to look at while you climb the long stairs!
Hi Rochelle,
What a brilliant design and idea! Now there is more to climbing stairs than just reaching the top. I love the textures and subtle colors. We certainly have graduated from carpet beds here… this is truly lovely. Your photos are wonderful in showing the garden from so many angles… I especially love the first one. Extraordinary! I found your site when someone told me I had been nominated for best Massachusetts blog over at Blotanical … which was a total surprise to me… and there you were beside me. Congratulations on your nomination. I am thankful even more for the nomination since it led me to your great blog. Carol
So cool! reminds me of roberto burle marx , lush sculptural masses of color- like walking thru a 3-D canvas and the dimension that the stairs adds is genius! Love it-thanks for the post!