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The sculptural ensemble by Constantin Brancusi in Târgu-Jiu,
Romania comprises Brancusi's only realized public sculpture.
The Ensemble consists of the Table of Silence, a sequence
of Stools, the Gate of the Kiss and the Endless Column.
Together, they commemorate soldiers lost defending the
town in the Great War and are also recognized as seminal
works of modern sculpture. The Ensemble is interesting
urbanistically in that Brancusi placed the works along
an axis stretching from the floodplain of the River
Jiu, where the Table of Silence is located, to higher
ground one mile distant where he situated the Column.
In 2000, following some 15 years of work, the World
Monuments Fund, with funding from private donors and
the World Bank, completed a much-needed restoration
of the Column returning it to the condition envisioned
by Brancusi. Currently, however, the landscape and urban
context of the Ensemble are in a poor state of repair
and many competing visual interests weaken the viewing
of the sculptures. The World Monuments Fund recognized
that the context of a sculpture is an essential component
of the overall experience and approached Olin Partnership
to work on the project because of our extensive work
with museums and sculpture gardens.
In February of 2002, a project team from Olin Partnership
visited Romania and studied the site. They met with
local professionals, academics and representatives of
the town governments to better understand local conditions.
The setting of art in a landscape, especially in a landscape
serving many differing needs, requires careful consideration
of the artist's intent as well as the relationship of
adjacent activities.
It was soon clear that the landscape architect's role
in the project should be primarily one of editor. By
proposing the removal of existing elements and the addition
of planting, paving and lighting Olin Partnership hopes
to protect and re-energize the experience of the Ensemble
while maintaining a diverse range of adjacent park and
urban programs.
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