Jardí Botànic de Barcelona
parterres, chosen according to the origin and
quality of the specimen exhibited.It is noticeable that there is a convergence in the
mulching materials used, which mirrors the ‘mor-
phologic evolutionary convergence’ between the
phytoepisodes, regardless of their place of origin.
This helps with the interpretation of the exhibits,
and provides coherence at a scale greater than that
of the individual phytoepisodes, helping visitors to
perceive and comprehend the garden as a whole.
When strolling in the garden, the mulching and soft
paving materials contribute to the sense of landsca-
pe character. Extensive, practical and low-key, these
surfaces, together with the understated nature of
the detailing, prevent the botanic garden from deve-
loping a theme-park ambience or a gardenesque
appearance.
Evaluation
With a timescale extending from 1989 to 2010,
JBB is a long and complex project, undertaken by
a multi-disciplinary team consisting of a botanist,
an agronomist, a horticultural specialist, architects,
landscape architects, surveyors, civil engineers, etc.
It has been an open-ended , non-linear project, with
a two-speed approach that is even now defining its
own future. It is too soon for a final evaluation, but
some conclusions can already be drawn.JBB is an adventurous project that involves inno-
vation and experimentation in the fields of botany
and landscape design. Using phytoepisodes as the
planting units for the arrangement of the botanical
collections, and thus reproducing naturally occurring
landscapes, has introduced novel concepts such
as ecological affinity, morphological evolutionary
convergence and phytosociology into the design of
botanical gardens and urban public spaces.The project is inventive in the way it is spatially
organised on a site with difficult topography. The
use of a triangulated grid, inspired by surveying
techniques, as the underlying mechanism for defi-
ning the exhibition plots, has provided maximum
accessibility and a range of perceptual possibilities
at various scales, while requiring the minimum
amount of earth modelling.