Peter Walker (architect)
Encyclopedia
Peter Walker is a landscape architect
in the United States
.
. Walker initially started out in Journalism but quickly changed his field. He received his Bachelors of Science in Landscape Architecture
in 1955, and soon moved onto the University of Illinois
and studied under Stanley White where he did his graduate studies. The next year, Walker attended Harvard University
Graduate School of Design where he received his masters in Landscape Architecture in 1957, and won the school's Weidenman Prize that year.
At Harvard, Walker was deeply influenced by his professor, Hideo Sasaki
who is a prominent landscape architect and has done numerous projects internationally. Upon graduating from Harvard University
Graduate School of Design, Peter Walker worked for Sasaki and gained valuable work experience under one of the best landscape architects. Shortly thereafter, they both went into partnership to form Sasaki Walker Associates in 1972.
In 2006, he was invited to join the judging panel for an international design competition for the new Gardens by the Bay
in Singapore
.
in New York, New York. Although it is not complete and cannot be deemed a successful project quite yet, his team did win the honor of first place in the contest of designers across the globe. The World Trade Center Memorial will incorporate two large voids that commemorate the lost towers. Around the two voids there will be space to roam around as well as ample green space. On June 28, 2011, the Santa Monica City Council authorized a contract with Peter Walker and Partners, in the amount of $2,200,000, for design, construction document preparation, and construction administration services for the Colorado Esplanade and Downtown Light Rail Station Plaza. There are other projects his team has created that have been highly praised and awarded:
Landscape architect
A landscape architect is a person involved in the planning, design and sometimes direction of a landscape, garden, or distinct space. The professional practice is known as landscape architecture....
in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
.
Biography and Influences
Peter Walker grew up in California and attended the University of California, BerkeleyUniversity of California, Berkeley
The University of California, Berkeley , is a teaching and research university established in 1868 and located in Berkeley, California, USA...
. Walker initially started out in Journalism but quickly changed his field. He received his Bachelors of Science in Landscape Architecture
Landscape architecture
Landscape architecture is the design of outdoor and public spaces to achieve environmental, socio-behavioral, or aesthetic outcomes. It involves the systematic investigation of existing social, ecological, and geological conditions and processes in the landscape, and the design of interventions...
in 1955, and soon moved onto the University of Illinois
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
The University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign is a large public research-intensive university in the state of Illinois, United States. It is the flagship campus of the University of Illinois system...
and studied under Stanley White where he did his graduate studies. The next year, Walker attended Harvard University
Harvard University
Harvard University is a private Ivy League university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States, established in 1636 by the Massachusetts legislature. Harvard is the oldest institution of higher learning in the United States and the first corporation chartered in the country...
Graduate School of Design where he received his masters in Landscape Architecture in 1957, and won the school's Weidenman Prize that year.
At Harvard, Walker was deeply influenced by his professor, Hideo Sasaki
Hideo Sasaki
Sasaki Hideo was an influential American landscape architect.-Biography:Sasaki Hideo was born in Reedley, California, on 25 November 1919. He grew up working on his family's California truck farm, and harvesting crops on Arizona farms. He began his college studies at the University of California,...
who is a prominent landscape architect and has done numerous projects internationally. Upon graduating from Harvard University
Harvard University
Harvard University is a private Ivy League university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States, established in 1636 by the Massachusetts legislature. Harvard is the oldest institution of higher learning in the United States and the first corporation chartered in the country...
Graduate School of Design, Peter Walker worked for Sasaki and gained valuable work experience under one of the best landscape architects. Shortly thereafter, they both went into partnership to form Sasaki Walker Associates in 1972.
Career
Peter Walker and Sasaki later went their own separate ways. In 1983, he formed Peter Walker and Partners and has developed a world-class interdisciplinary firm that employs around thirty to forty landscape architects well trained in the field. Peter Walker was also a co-author of Invisible Gardens, which touches on the modernist movement in America and the comparison of other landscapes to those in Europe. In the book, there are influential landscape architects that are talked about, such as Hideo Sasaki. Recently, Peter Walker was awarded the highest honor any landscape architect can receive: the International Federation of Landscape Architects awarded Walker the Geoffrey Jellicoe Gold Medal.In 2006, he was invited to join the judging panel for an international design competition for the new Gardens by the Bay
Gardens by the Bay
Gardens by the Bay consists of three distinctive waterfront gardens – Bay South, Bay East and Bay Central, spanning a total of 101 hectares. They are set in the heart of Singapore’s new downtown Marina Bay, encircling the Marina Reservoir like a green necklace...
in Singapore
Singapore
Singapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...
.
Projects
Peter Walker and Partners has developed many beautiful and successful landscapes in the Americas as well as internationally. One of his team’s projects that is currently being worked on is the World Trade Center MemorialWorld Trade Center Memorial
- Fundraising :The Foundation has fundraising responsibilities because of the tasks assigned to it by the Lower Manhattan Development Corporation...
in New York, New York. Although it is not complete and cannot be deemed a successful project quite yet, his team did win the honor of first place in the contest of designers across the globe. The World Trade Center Memorial will incorporate two large voids that commemorate the lost towers. Around the two voids there will be space to roam around as well as ample green space. On June 28, 2011, the Santa Monica City Council authorized a contract with Peter Walker and Partners, in the amount of $2,200,000, for design, construction document preparation, and construction administration services for the Colorado Esplanade and Downtown Light Rail Station Plaza. There are other projects his team has created that have been highly praised and awarded:
- Toyota City Art Museum
- McConnel Foundation
- Nasher Foundation Sculpture Center
- Sony Center in BerlinBerlinBerlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union...
- Solana (Dallas, TexasTexasTexas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
) - Tanner Fountain — Harvard University
- Burnett Park
- Jamison SquareJamison SquareJamison Square is a city park in the area of downtown Portland, Oregon, known as the Pearl District. It was the first park added to the neighborhood.-Design:...
in PortlandPortland, OregonPortland is a city located in the Pacific Northwest, near the confluence of the Willamette and Columbia rivers in the U.S. state of Oregon. As of the 2010 Census, it had a population of 583,776, making it the 29th most populous city in the United States...
, OregonOregonOregon is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It is located on the Pacific coast, with Washington to the north, California to the south, Nevada on the southeast and Idaho to the east. The Columbia and Snake rivers delineate much of Oregon's northern and eastern... - IBM Japan Makuhari Tecnical Centre
- University of Texas at DallasUniversity of Texas at DallasThe University of Texas at Dallas, also referred to as UT Dallas or UTD, is a public research university in the University of Texas System. The main campus is in the heart of the Richardson, Texas, Telecom Corridor, north of downtown Dallas...
External links
- Official site
- http://www.asla.org/awards/2004/medals/walker.htm
- Jamison Square, Portland, Oregon
- The Nasher Foundation Sculpture Center
- The Sony Center in Berlin
- The McConnel Foundation
- http://www.pwpla.com/frm_awards.php