Robert Royston, 1918-2008, Landscape architect, American
One of California’s foremost Modernist landscape architects, Royston earned a degree in landscape design from the University of California, Berkeley. In 1945, he and colleagues Garrett Eckbo and Edward Williams founded Eckbo, Royston, and Williams. In 1958, Royston, Hanamoto, Alley, and Abey was formed.
Royston was member of Telesis, a group of architects and landscape architects, planners and graphic designer in the Bay Area formed in 1939. These idealistic young professionals were committed to informing the public about planning, design and development. (Walker, Simo p. 131)
In the 1950s, Royston experimented with biomorphic forms and constructivist play sculptures in tot lots for neighborhood parks, such as Krusi Park in Alameda CA, for the Standard Oil Rod and Gun Club, in Richemond CA and in 1957 for Mitchell Park in Paolo Alto. (Walker, Simo p. 140-141)
„We aimed to bring modernism’s free-flowing space to the playground, which was designed without corners so every child could be seen by his mother“ explains Royston, who consulted with landscape architects Reed Dillingsham and Stephanie Pearson on the 2000 renovation of the Mitchell tot lot. The whimsical play structures were all designed by Royston in the precode area, and some (such as the multi-tiered „apartement house“) had to be removed.
„Codes? We never had any rules and regulations „ says Royston. „we had common sense!“
(quoted in 164 Dwell May 2007)
Mitchell Park today
Revisiting Robert Royston’s Mitchell Park
Bibliography
Walker, Peter, and Melanie Louise Simo. 1994. Invisible gardens: the search for modernism in the American landscape. Cambridge, Mass: MIT Press, p. 140-143.
excerpts from tclf.org (The Cultural Landscape Foundation TCLF), retrieved September 11, 2012
Rainey, Reuben M., and J. C. Miller. 2006. Modern public gardens: Robert Royston and the suburban park. San Francisco, Calif: William Stout Publishers. pp. 90, 94, 104, 106, 107.
Robert Royston, slide (1950) Standard Oil and Gun Club, 2003
Robert Royston, Mitchell Park „The apartment house“ (1956)
Robert Royston: Krusi Park Alameda (1954): play sculpture
Mitchell Park, tiny tot playground Paolo Alto CA (1956)
Robert Royston: Mitchell Park Frockling Bear by Virginia Green
Robert Royston: Mitchell Park „Gopher Holes“ (1956)