University museum hosts world-famous landscape architect for annual lecture
Release Date 27 October 2015
One of the world's leading landscape architects, James Corner, delivered the Museum of English Rural Life's (MERL) Annual Lecture last week [Thursday 22 October], held in partnership with the Landscape Institute's annual Jellicoe Lecture.
Named by TIME Magazine as one of the ‘Top Ten Designers in the World', Corner is renowned for designing New York's much-loved High Line and the South Park Plaza of London's Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park. He is now working on several high-visibility urban projects around the world, such as San Francisco's Presidio Parklands and London's Battersea Power Plant Development.
A key theme of Corner's talk, which was held at the University's Great Hall, was the importance and relevance of public spaces to people's lives. Whether in urban or rural contexts, in private or public realms, Corner argued that the landscape architect can influence how people move through a space, how they inhabit it and how they interpret, use and interact with that space.
Guy Baxter, University Archivist, said: "Since donating its archive and library to the Museum of English Rural Life, the Landscape Institute has generously funded the essential work that was needed to make these key resources for landscape heritage available to its members and to the public.
"We are delighted that this partnership has proved so successful and this event was an opportunity to celebrate our work together. We will now be looking to the future and planning how best to document and preserve the work of today's leading landscape architects."
Paul Lincoln, Deputy Chief Executive of the Landscape Institute said: "It was exciting to team up with the Museum of English Rural Life at the University of Reading to present this year's Jellicoe lecture.
"Geoffrey Jellicoe was the leading landscape architect of his generation and it was fitting that this year's lecture was given by James Corner. James is currently working on many hugely important urban projects around the world and his lecture gave us an inspiring vision of what landscape architecture can do to transform the urban environment. He provides great inspiration for the next generation of landscape architects."
Update on MERL refurbishment
In June 2014, MERL, which is owned and managed by the University of Reading, was awarded £1.7 million from the Heritage Lottery Fund as part of its major refurbishment plans to transform the way people experience and understand our rural heritage.
Since its closure last October, work has been underway to extend the galleries, the entrance area and the education space. The garden has been remodelled and the new galleries have been designed into themes. Earlier this year, MERL secured further funding from the Wellcome Trust to explore the vital links between science and the countryside.
The Museum is due to open in the summer of 2016. The University‘s Special Collections, the Museum shop, the staircase hall and meeting rooms remain open.
More information about the MERL redevelopment project, as well as what events and community projects are taking place during the closure, is available on the ‘Our Country Lives' blog.