In England. In London. In Hyde Park. English parks are a characteristic of English towns and cities. Expanses of lawn for all to enjoy. Meadows, really, of neatly-mown grass. Mostly flat, with trees and shrubs randomly dotted as though they had always been there, not something anyone really thought of. You can feel the city all around, as though it too had always been there. Most of the trees are deciduous; the seasons clearly proclaimed. From time to time a construction appears in this vast urban calm, a road or a path, occasionally a pond or a stream...
One wonders why such simple urban parks, these immense vacuities, are so rarely seen in other countries. Such a semblance of nothing is no small feat... leaving this huge, empty space open for all. One imagines the energy it must have taken to protect it. The constant care that must go into its maintenance, to keep the grass at just the right height, the trees in perfect health, so that everyone might stroll through this peaceful space and feel they are at home, in their city, in their park, the most natural thing in the world. So that whatever my mood, my desire for exteriority, alone, as a couple, with family or friends, whatever my age, the idea of spending a few minutes or a few hours in Hyde Park remains a peaceful temptation." to find out more..
Passage via http://www.jeannouvel.com/english/preloader.html
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