Alex Mexi | University of Bucharest (original) (raw)
Papers by Alex Mexi
Routledge eBooks, Sep 29, 2022
Cismigiu garden was designed in 1845 by Karl Friederich Wilhelm Meyer according to the requests a... more Cismigiu garden was designed in 1845 by Karl Friederich Wilhelm Meyer according to the requests and needs of the mid 19 century urban society of Bucharest. However, the original design and composition of the garden is now lost due to a series of successive transformations undertaken on both the architectural layout and components of the garden as well as on its planting design and composition; thus transforming the romantic 19 and 20 century romantic landscape into a contemporary livable but “adorned public space ruin”. To this end, this paper aims to compare and analyze the historical transformations that successively altered and reinvented Cismigiu garden’s overall image and composition, in the hope of understanding how and why did the garden had to be redesigned and, to a certain extent – reinvented, so many times in its history. The study is based on field research as well as on comparative analyses in both archive images and on contemporary “in situ” photographs.
Journal of Early Modern Studies
Gardens and Landscapes of Portugal
The first two public gardens in Bucharest, as well as some of the oldest in the South and East re... more The first two public gardens in Bucharest, as well as some of the oldest in the South and East regions of nowadays country of Romania, were designed, built and planted around the mid-nineteenth century by a German-born landscape gardener named Carl Friedrich Wilhelm Meyer. These two public gardens were designed according to modern nineteenth century landscaping concepts and were planted with exotic species of flowers, shrubs and trees not common at that time either in Bucharest or anywhere in the Romanian provinces south or east of the Carpathians. To better understand the design, development, and meaning of these gardens, this paper aims to analyze the specific palette of ornamental species of plants and the planting patterns that were used for the Kiseleff and Cișmigiu gardens in Bucharest and to outline the importance of their use.
Journal of Early Modern Studies
Gardens and Landscapes of Portugal
The first two public gardens in Bucharest, as well as some of the oldest in the South and East re... more The first two public gardens in Bucharest, as well as some of the oldest in the South and East regions of nowadays country of Romania, were designed, built and planted around the mid-nineteenth century by a German-born landscape gardener named Carl Friedrich Wilhelm Meyer. These two public gardens were designed according to modern nineteenth century landscaping concepts and were planted with exotic species of flowers, shrubs and trees not common at that time either in Bucharest or anywhere in the Romanian provinces south or east of the Carpathians. To better understand the design, development, and meaning of these gardens, this paper aims to analyze the specific palette of ornamental species of plants and the planting patterns that were used for the Kiseleff and Cișmigiu gardens in Bucharest and to outline the importance of their use.
Revista Bibliotecii Academiei Române, 2020
The first law for the protection of historic monuments from Romania was published in 1892. A few ... more The first law for the protection of historic monuments from Romania was published in 1892. A few years later, in 1904, the first inventory of historic monuments was issued, and in it there were no parks and gardens. The first ones to be listed as cultural heritage were the ones around the Mogoșoaia Palace, near Bucharest. They were listed by Royal Decree in 1945, and they followed a European trend that started long before in Central Europe. The park and gardens at Mogoșoaia Palace were soon followed by more and more private gardens and public parks from all over the country. In less than a century since the Royal Decree of 1945, Romania counts more than 160 such historic monuments, most of which are represented by parks and gardens next to castles, palaces, manors and monasteries. The following paper aims to present the history of the way in which parks and gardens were listed as cultural heritage in Romania and to summarize the listing process of some of the most well-known such landscaped ensembles.
[ENG] Since the start of their construction in the late 19 th century, the terraced gardens of th... more [ENG] Since the start of their construction in the late 19 th century, the terraced gardens of the Peleş castle underwent, over time, various stages of transformation starting with their architectural image, iconographic programs and vegetal composition. By these means, this study will analyse their past, a number of intended consolidation projects that were never implemented and also some historical plans for the construction of new terraces, and will offer a series of principles and possible ways of restoring the landscaping complex so as to highlight and upgrade this important part of the Romanian national immovable heritage.
[RO] Începute de regele Carol I încă de la sfârşitul secolului al XIX-lea, grădinile terasate de la castelul Peleş au trecut de-a lungul timpului prin numeroase etape de transformare a imaginii arhitecturale, a programelor iconografice şi a compoziţiei vegetale. Pe această cale, prezentul studiu urmează să analizeze trecutul acestora, proiectele istorice de consolidare şi chiar cele de construcţie a unor noi terase, precum şi să ofere o serie de principii şi posibile direcţii de restaurare peisagistică care să repună în valoare un patrimoniu imobil de importanţă naţională.
A city is made up by its people and by its architectural, urban characteristics. Bucharest lost m... more A city is made up by its people and by its architectural, urban characteristics. Bucharest lost most of its central historical sites during the last decade of communism. The shifts of paradigm of those days shift the entire history of a city, ripping away the historical, cultural and social center of a European capital. Even if the turnovers in Bucharest are never to be seen elsewhere in the world, the political decisions and expression that lead to a new urban landscape construction have correspondences in many other cities of the world, most of them marked by a similar history, thus totalitarian systems. In order to better understand the scale of what J.B. Jackson called the Second Landscape, at its most extreme expression, our paper will present the effects of totalitarian political systems on various urban landscape in the modern period, comparing the scale of the communist demolitions in Bucharest and the corresponding urban tragedies in cities like Berlin, Rome, Paris, or Pyongyang. The study reveals similarities between cities like those mentioned earlier and Bucharest in terms of political construction of the urban landscape, the landscape as a political tool, the impact of these politics on historical cities and their " absorption " by the daily life landscape.In order to understand the scale of the tragedy and its consequences in the future it is important to look for examples similar to the one given and to search for answers that may solve the problems that the ruins of the late communism era left to the capital-city of Romania. It is also important to understand how the daily spatial practices (de Certeau) are finally engulfing and integrating the political landscape from the collective memory.
Paper published in Observatorul Ecvestru (special edition), 30th September - 2nd October 2016
Paper published in Historia magazine, no. 176/ September 2016
Cismigiu garden was designed in 1845 by Karl Friederich Wilhelm Meyer according to the requests a... more Cismigiu garden was designed in 1845 by Karl Friederich Wilhelm Meyer according to the requests and needs of the mid 19 th century urban society of Bucharest. However, the original design and composition of the garden is now lost due to a series of successive transformations undertaken on both the architectural layout and components of the garden as well as on its planting design and composition; thus transforming the romantic 19 th and 20 th century romantic landscape into a contemporary livable but " adorned public space ruin ". To this end, this paper aims to compare and analyze the historical transformations that successively altered and reinvented Cismigiu garden's overall image and composition, in the hope of understanding how and why did the garden had to be redesigned and, to a certain extent – reinvented, so many times in its history. The study is based on field research as well as on comparative analyses in both archive images and on contemporary " in situ " photographs.
Considered some of the most fascinating examples of Mannerist gardens in Italy, Villa Lante at Ba... more Considered some of the most fascinating examples of Mannerist gardens in Italy, Villa Lante at Bagnaia and Villa Orsini at Bomarzo, were conceived in the late 16th century as a kind of landscape and architectural expressions of the Man's quest for the Lost Paradise. Although they were designed roughly in the same period of time, they differ completely in almost every sence, but, in the same time, they complete each other in many ways. The following paper aims to compare the architectural layouts, planting designs and allegorical programmes of both gardens as to emphasize the way Paradise was seen in the late 16th century in Western Europe and to show two different landscape design mechanisms that try to mimic the quest for the (re)descovery of Eden.
The Palatine g\Garden at Heidelberg was designed at the beginning of the XVII th century by Salom... more The Palatine g\Garden at Heidelberg was designed at the beginning of the XVII th century by Salomon de Caus for the royal couple Frederich V and Elisabeth Stuart. Though never finished due to the beginning of the 30 Years War, Hortus Palatinus is seen as the best example of a Renaissance and both Mannerist garden in nowadays Germany.Though never finished, the Palatine Garden at Heidelberg holds a series of secrets, signs, and symbols hidden in Salomon de Caus's book – Hortus Palatinus (1620). To this end, this paper aims to represent an interpretation of the gardens's design and components by confronting the author's text and drawings with the research in the field of visual arts, architecture and landscape design history and philosophy.
The contemporary urban politics are facing an important paradigm shift. The quality of life becam... more The contemporary urban politics are facing an important paradigm shift. The quality of life became the central topic of new development plans and the public space represents the cornerstone of urban planning. In this context landscape architecture plays an important role and landscape " soft " methods are replacing the " hard " urban design instruments. Our paper will analyse an apparently dull and simple object – the bench. Starting from a series of observation on Bucharest urban design we will try to define the " perfect bench " starting from some basic qualities that this object, apparently banal, should accomplish in order to assure a real quality of urban space and a pleasant experience: comfort, security, shelter, design, location are some of the characteristics that are guiding our analyse. The study is based on participatory and non-participatory observations and questionnaires realised in several Bucharest's public spaces in order to understand how people are perceiving these qualities and how good or bad design can influence the public life and the success of a landscape project. The observations and questionnaires are structured around a matrix inspired by Jan Gehl's analyse of public spaces quality [1]. The study shows the lack of concern with quality in public space design in Bucharest. Formalism, stereotypes, overloading with useless, ugly, uncomfortable and aggressive urban furniture as well as a low quality design of the overall space determine a dissatisfaction concerning the city's public spaces. In order to enjoy the urban experience and to create successful public gardens, parks or squares a special attention should be given to a simple, yet complex object as the public bench.
Cismigiu Garden is a part of our national heritage and it is almost lost in favour of kitsch and ... more Cismigiu Garden is a part of our national heritage and it is almost lost in favour of kitsch and ugliness. As a consequence of the lack of experience and professionalism of interest and as well of public income, this garden becomes a shadow of its old glory.One of the most important architectural and landscaping compositions in Cismigiu Historical Garden is the Writers' Rotunda. Focusing only on the Rotunda, the study was based on " in situ " research and on historical documents research. The study revealed a series of inconsistencies and discrepancies between historical text description and historical images as well. Also, our paper lead to showing different patterns on which the Rotunda was designed and it also reveals patrimony objects that seemed to be lost.The aim of this case study is to emphasise the Rotunda image created by FriedrichRebhun and how should it look like after a much-needed restoration. In order for a city that lost most of its history and patrimony, attention should be accorded to the built heritage including historical gardens and parks and especially to their most important features. One of them is the Writer's Rotunda.
A garden is more than vegetation; it is art, cultural memory, national patrimony and it is the se... more A garden is more than vegetation; it is art, cultural memory, national patrimony and it is the sentimental expression of one's identity, capable to becoming a mnemonic for future generations to discover. The Central School in Bucharest, one charming piece of the national patrimony, was recently restored, but its gardens were ignored. The current state of the gardens alters the image of the entire ensemble and contradicts the original architectural style and composition of the monument. The study focuses on recovering both the image and the spirit of the school's remaining gardens, offering the necessary details for recomposing the images the school was identified throughout its history. To this end, our research was conducted on mineral and vegetal compositions and pattern displays, successive style transformations and historical layouts, text descriptions and also on " in situ " observations. The aim of the present study is thus, to demonstrate that the gardens are part of the Central School's history and identity and that they hold all the necessary attributes to becoming themselves recognized as landscape monuments. This must lead in the end to defying the Central School as a historical ensemble consisting in a mixture of both architectural and landscape creations alike.
Books by Alex Mexi
Routledge eBooks, Sep 29, 2022
Cismigiu garden was designed in 1845 by Karl Friederich Wilhelm Meyer according to the requests a... more Cismigiu garden was designed in 1845 by Karl Friederich Wilhelm Meyer according to the requests and needs of the mid 19 century urban society of Bucharest. However, the original design and composition of the garden is now lost due to a series of successive transformations undertaken on both the architectural layout and components of the garden as well as on its planting design and composition; thus transforming the romantic 19 and 20 century romantic landscape into a contemporary livable but “adorned public space ruin”. To this end, this paper aims to compare and analyze the historical transformations that successively altered and reinvented Cismigiu garden’s overall image and composition, in the hope of understanding how and why did the garden had to be redesigned and, to a certain extent – reinvented, so many times in its history. The study is based on field research as well as on comparative analyses in both archive images and on contemporary “in situ” photographs.
Journal of Early Modern Studies
Gardens and Landscapes of Portugal
The first two public gardens in Bucharest, as well as some of the oldest in the South and East re... more The first two public gardens in Bucharest, as well as some of the oldest in the South and East regions of nowadays country of Romania, were designed, built and planted around the mid-nineteenth century by a German-born landscape gardener named Carl Friedrich Wilhelm Meyer. These two public gardens were designed according to modern nineteenth century landscaping concepts and were planted with exotic species of flowers, shrubs and trees not common at that time either in Bucharest or anywhere in the Romanian provinces south or east of the Carpathians. To better understand the design, development, and meaning of these gardens, this paper aims to analyze the specific palette of ornamental species of plants and the planting patterns that were used for the Kiseleff and Cișmigiu gardens in Bucharest and to outline the importance of their use.
Journal of Early Modern Studies
Gardens and Landscapes of Portugal
The first two public gardens in Bucharest, as well as some of the oldest in the South and East re... more The first two public gardens in Bucharest, as well as some of the oldest in the South and East regions of nowadays country of Romania, were designed, built and planted around the mid-nineteenth century by a German-born landscape gardener named Carl Friedrich Wilhelm Meyer. These two public gardens were designed according to modern nineteenth century landscaping concepts and were planted with exotic species of flowers, shrubs and trees not common at that time either in Bucharest or anywhere in the Romanian provinces south or east of the Carpathians. To better understand the design, development, and meaning of these gardens, this paper aims to analyze the specific palette of ornamental species of plants and the planting patterns that were used for the Kiseleff and Cișmigiu gardens in Bucharest and to outline the importance of their use.
Revista Bibliotecii Academiei Române, 2020
The first law for the protection of historic monuments from Romania was published in 1892. A few ... more The first law for the protection of historic monuments from Romania was published in 1892. A few years later, in 1904, the first inventory of historic monuments was issued, and in it there were no parks and gardens. The first ones to be listed as cultural heritage were the ones around the Mogoșoaia Palace, near Bucharest. They were listed by Royal Decree in 1945, and they followed a European trend that started long before in Central Europe. The park and gardens at Mogoșoaia Palace were soon followed by more and more private gardens and public parks from all over the country. In less than a century since the Royal Decree of 1945, Romania counts more than 160 such historic monuments, most of which are represented by parks and gardens next to castles, palaces, manors and monasteries. The following paper aims to present the history of the way in which parks and gardens were listed as cultural heritage in Romania and to summarize the listing process of some of the most well-known such landscaped ensembles.
[ENG] Since the start of their construction in the late 19 th century, the terraced gardens of th... more [ENG] Since the start of their construction in the late 19 th century, the terraced gardens of the Peleş castle underwent, over time, various stages of transformation starting with their architectural image, iconographic programs and vegetal composition. By these means, this study will analyse their past, a number of intended consolidation projects that were never implemented and also some historical plans for the construction of new terraces, and will offer a series of principles and possible ways of restoring the landscaping complex so as to highlight and upgrade this important part of the Romanian national immovable heritage.
[RO] Începute de regele Carol I încă de la sfârşitul secolului al XIX-lea, grădinile terasate de la castelul Peleş au trecut de-a lungul timpului prin numeroase etape de transformare a imaginii arhitecturale, a programelor iconografice şi a compoziţiei vegetale. Pe această cale, prezentul studiu urmează să analizeze trecutul acestora, proiectele istorice de consolidare şi chiar cele de construcţie a unor noi terase, precum şi să ofere o serie de principii şi posibile direcţii de restaurare peisagistică care să repună în valoare un patrimoniu imobil de importanţă naţională.
A city is made up by its people and by its architectural, urban characteristics. Bucharest lost m... more A city is made up by its people and by its architectural, urban characteristics. Bucharest lost most of its central historical sites during the last decade of communism. The shifts of paradigm of those days shift the entire history of a city, ripping away the historical, cultural and social center of a European capital. Even if the turnovers in Bucharest are never to be seen elsewhere in the world, the political decisions and expression that lead to a new urban landscape construction have correspondences in many other cities of the world, most of them marked by a similar history, thus totalitarian systems. In order to better understand the scale of what J.B. Jackson called the Second Landscape, at its most extreme expression, our paper will present the effects of totalitarian political systems on various urban landscape in the modern period, comparing the scale of the communist demolitions in Bucharest and the corresponding urban tragedies in cities like Berlin, Rome, Paris, or Pyongyang. The study reveals similarities between cities like those mentioned earlier and Bucharest in terms of political construction of the urban landscape, the landscape as a political tool, the impact of these politics on historical cities and their " absorption " by the daily life landscape.In order to understand the scale of the tragedy and its consequences in the future it is important to look for examples similar to the one given and to search for answers that may solve the problems that the ruins of the late communism era left to the capital-city of Romania. It is also important to understand how the daily spatial practices (de Certeau) are finally engulfing and integrating the political landscape from the collective memory.
Paper published in Observatorul Ecvestru (special edition), 30th September - 2nd October 2016
Paper published in Historia magazine, no. 176/ September 2016
Cismigiu garden was designed in 1845 by Karl Friederich Wilhelm Meyer according to the requests a... more Cismigiu garden was designed in 1845 by Karl Friederich Wilhelm Meyer according to the requests and needs of the mid 19 th century urban society of Bucharest. However, the original design and composition of the garden is now lost due to a series of successive transformations undertaken on both the architectural layout and components of the garden as well as on its planting design and composition; thus transforming the romantic 19 th and 20 th century romantic landscape into a contemporary livable but " adorned public space ruin ". To this end, this paper aims to compare and analyze the historical transformations that successively altered and reinvented Cismigiu garden's overall image and composition, in the hope of understanding how and why did the garden had to be redesigned and, to a certain extent – reinvented, so many times in its history. The study is based on field research as well as on comparative analyses in both archive images and on contemporary " in situ " photographs.
Considered some of the most fascinating examples of Mannerist gardens in Italy, Villa Lante at Ba... more Considered some of the most fascinating examples of Mannerist gardens in Italy, Villa Lante at Bagnaia and Villa Orsini at Bomarzo, were conceived in the late 16th century as a kind of landscape and architectural expressions of the Man's quest for the Lost Paradise. Although they were designed roughly in the same period of time, they differ completely in almost every sence, but, in the same time, they complete each other in many ways. The following paper aims to compare the architectural layouts, planting designs and allegorical programmes of both gardens as to emphasize the way Paradise was seen in the late 16th century in Western Europe and to show two different landscape design mechanisms that try to mimic the quest for the (re)descovery of Eden.
The Palatine g\Garden at Heidelberg was designed at the beginning of the XVII th century by Salom... more The Palatine g\Garden at Heidelberg was designed at the beginning of the XVII th century by Salomon de Caus for the royal couple Frederich V and Elisabeth Stuart. Though never finished due to the beginning of the 30 Years War, Hortus Palatinus is seen as the best example of a Renaissance and both Mannerist garden in nowadays Germany.Though never finished, the Palatine Garden at Heidelberg holds a series of secrets, signs, and symbols hidden in Salomon de Caus's book – Hortus Palatinus (1620). To this end, this paper aims to represent an interpretation of the gardens's design and components by confronting the author's text and drawings with the research in the field of visual arts, architecture and landscape design history and philosophy.
The contemporary urban politics are facing an important paradigm shift. The quality of life becam... more The contemporary urban politics are facing an important paradigm shift. The quality of life became the central topic of new development plans and the public space represents the cornerstone of urban planning. In this context landscape architecture plays an important role and landscape " soft " methods are replacing the " hard " urban design instruments. Our paper will analyse an apparently dull and simple object – the bench. Starting from a series of observation on Bucharest urban design we will try to define the " perfect bench " starting from some basic qualities that this object, apparently banal, should accomplish in order to assure a real quality of urban space and a pleasant experience: comfort, security, shelter, design, location are some of the characteristics that are guiding our analyse. The study is based on participatory and non-participatory observations and questionnaires realised in several Bucharest's public spaces in order to understand how people are perceiving these qualities and how good or bad design can influence the public life and the success of a landscape project. The observations and questionnaires are structured around a matrix inspired by Jan Gehl's analyse of public spaces quality [1]. The study shows the lack of concern with quality in public space design in Bucharest. Formalism, stereotypes, overloading with useless, ugly, uncomfortable and aggressive urban furniture as well as a low quality design of the overall space determine a dissatisfaction concerning the city's public spaces. In order to enjoy the urban experience and to create successful public gardens, parks or squares a special attention should be given to a simple, yet complex object as the public bench.
Cismigiu Garden is a part of our national heritage and it is almost lost in favour of kitsch and ... more Cismigiu Garden is a part of our national heritage and it is almost lost in favour of kitsch and ugliness. As a consequence of the lack of experience and professionalism of interest and as well of public income, this garden becomes a shadow of its old glory.One of the most important architectural and landscaping compositions in Cismigiu Historical Garden is the Writers' Rotunda. Focusing only on the Rotunda, the study was based on " in situ " research and on historical documents research. The study revealed a series of inconsistencies and discrepancies between historical text description and historical images as well. Also, our paper lead to showing different patterns on which the Rotunda was designed and it also reveals patrimony objects that seemed to be lost.The aim of this case study is to emphasise the Rotunda image created by FriedrichRebhun and how should it look like after a much-needed restoration. In order for a city that lost most of its history and patrimony, attention should be accorded to the built heritage including historical gardens and parks and especially to their most important features. One of them is the Writer's Rotunda.
A garden is more than vegetation; it is art, cultural memory, national patrimony and it is the se... more A garden is more than vegetation; it is art, cultural memory, national patrimony and it is the sentimental expression of one's identity, capable to becoming a mnemonic for future generations to discover. The Central School in Bucharest, one charming piece of the national patrimony, was recently restored, but its gardens were ignored. The current state of the gardens alters the image of the entire ensemble and contradicts the original architectural style and composition of the monument. The study focuses on recovering both the image and the spirit of the school's remaining gardens, offering the necessary details for recomposing the images the school was identified throughout its history. To this end, our research was conducted on mineral and vegetal compositions and pattern displays, successive style transformations and historical layouts, text descriptions and also on " in situ " observations. The aim of the present study is thus, to demonstrate that the gardens are part of the Central School's history and identity and that they hold all the necessary attributes to becoming themselves recognized as landscape monuments. This must lead in the end to defying the Central School as a historical ensemble consisting in a mixture of both architectural and landscape creations alike.