GR N

A comprehensive biography of a groundbreaking landscape architect.
 
Grün (green) offers an in-depth look at the life and work of Günther Grzimek (1915–96), an innovative landscape architect who transformed his field, German parks, and notions of open areas. Grzimek advocated for a new form of urban greenery in Germany, a demokratisches Grün, or “democratic green space.” His vision united design, urban planning, and social equality, eschewing ornament for function. He also campaigned for practice-oriented training in landscape architecture. Though most renowned for the Olympiapark in Munich, Grzimek’s entire oeuvre is timeless.
 
This sweeping biography offers a wellspring of discoveries about this trailblazer. Tracing the history of modern landscape architecture in Germany, Grün details Grzimek’s collaborations with famous architects, town planners, and other artists—including the graphic designer Otl Aicher, who outlined this volume alongside Grzimek in the 1980s. Featuring plans, images, texts, and excerpts from Grzimek’s writings, this book illuminates the philosophy of a figure who embedded progressive ideals about democratic society into public spaces where German people continue to relax, play, and communicate.

Regine Keller is a landscape architect, town planner, and professor of landscape architecture and public space at the Technical University in Munich.