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Tucson Landscaping Ideas
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Tucson Landscaping Ideas

The Historic Landscape was listed on the National Register of Historic Places at the National Level of Significance on September 8, 2015.

The Tucson Community Center Landscape was designed by Garrett Eckbo, one of the twentieth century’s foremost American landscape architects. Created at the height of his career, it was completed in two stages in 1971 and 1973, under the direction of local architects and planners. This landscape is the only Eckbo-designed civic space in Arizona.

Eckbo was known for his interest in designing “people places” and for introducing aridland and native plants into his designs. He understood the importance of water to those who dwell in the desert, and he recognized the unique identity of Tucson as a city of rich cultural and ecological heritage.

At approximately 5.75 acres, the Tucson Community Center Landscape represents one of the largest areas of open space in downtown Tucson. Complementing El Presidio Park and Jácome Plaza, it provides an open core for large festivals and events. Its position, surrounded by cultural venues – the Arena, the Leo Rich Theater and the Music Hall – with the historic Rialto Theatre nearby, begs for a creative program of related recreational opportunities.

During the 1980s the optimism that accompanied the development of a community center for Tucson began to fade, and little by little the Tucson Community Center became known only as the Tucson Convention Center, obscuring its intended role as a cultural center for the citizens of Tucson.

The Modernist movement of the mid 20th century was a time in which “traditional” forms of expression were rejected and replaced with new ideas and values. Although appreciation for Modernist architecture is becoming commonplace, the same is not true of Modernist landscapes. Instead, they are misunderstood in the eyes of the public and as a result are threatened throughout the country.

 

Source: preservetucson.org