NZ landscape architects contending in London

New Zealand landscape architects contending in London

Three Kiwi landscape architects are contending for top jobs in famous London and English landmarks next month.

Sam Martin (London) and Ralf Kruger (Queenstown) are on the short list of designers for the Savill Garden project in Great Windsor Park just out of London. Katrina Simon (Auckland) is vying to prepare the NZ Memorial for Hyde Park Corner in London.

Martin and Simon both qualified in landscape architecture at Lincoln University, and Kruger in Germany.

Currently practising in London, Sam Martin previously worked for Robert Watson in Christchurch. Kruger won gold medals for his designs at the New Zealand Landscape Awards this year.

He is a superb designer expressing New Zealand’s character and using New Zealand native plants, New Zealand Institute of Landscape Architects’ president Di Lucas said today. ``He is a popular and respected landscape architect in New Zealand, and for some years has been winning awards for beautiful gardens in our mountain landscapes of the Wakatipu. ``This is a great honour and opportunity for the NZ landscape architecture industry. ``It is recognition of our profession here. Recognition of our skills in interpreting the nature and culture of a place, and of interpreting them in an interesting and robust way’’ Ms Lucas said. Savill Garden was set up after the Queen toured New Zealand in 1986 and received a gift of native plants. The collection was housed in Savill Garden but has deteriorated. A revamp was instigated following a visit by NZ High Commissioner Russell Marshall and the Secretary General of the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association Denis Marshall. The new project is calling for NZ landscape designers to redevelop the area into a New Zealand garden representing our mountains to sea diversity. The 18ha Savill Garden receives 60,000 visitors a year and Ms Lucas considers the project is an exciting challenge for our designers. The London Memorial in Hyde Park corner will especially commemorate the sacrifice made by New Zealanders during World War One and Two. Among the contenders for this major project is New Zealand’s Katrina Simon who is a lecturer in landscape architecture at Unitec in Auckland.

Hyde Park Corner is one of the most significant landmarks in London, providing a pivot to the processional route linking the Royal Palaces to the Royal Parks.

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