Pollarded Trees, J. Paul Getty Center & Beringer Vineyards, California

Pollarding: " A severe type of training and pruning fairly common in Europe, but rarely done in North America. It consists of cutting the tops off young trees when they are a few feet tall, allowing branches to grow only from near apexes of the shortened trunks, and at intervals of a few years cutting the branches practically to their bases." (Image 1, Athens, Greece)
New York Botanical Garden, Encyclopedia of Horticulture, 1984.

Olin Partnership has rediscovered the lost technique of pollarding trees for two significant projects over the last several years. At the Getty Center, Olin Partnership used pollarded trees to foster a horticultural recall of the Mediterranean aesthetic of Italianate Villa gardens. At Beringer Vineyards, pollarded trees were located in front of the historic Winery building, creating maximum summer shade for pedestrians along the esplanade while still emphasizing the view toward the building from the road. The trees used for this site were London Plane trees, pruned back three times before the time of planting.