Time Garden: A Journey of Time

At Beijing Expo 2019, the Exhibition Park named “Time Garden” by Dutch Designers will bring a journey of time to the world. Free from the hustle and bustle of the surroundings, visitors are immersed in the light and breath of the forest, and traverse the sinking courtyards of three different themes.

The three courtyards are connected by the descending “forest road”. Different materials, plants and colors create different courtyard atmosphere. Stepping into the forest road from the entrance, the thick trunks rise from the ground, extending the dense tourist crowd and gradually creating a tranquil garden atmosphere.

The first courtyard is Yunzhong Courtyard. The garden’s vegetation is simple and inconspicuous, and the neatly arranged ground cover is spread out like lush carpet. These ground covers are mostly shade-loving ferns and mosses, and, above them, towering pine trees stretch to the sky. Due to the sunlight, these pine trees only have branches and leaves on the top, and the canopies are intertwined, forming the space underneath as magnificent as a Gothic church. The quiet atmosphere quickly cools down the walking pace of tourists, and the humid, soft green carpet brings calm to the air. New life begins to germinate in the still air.

The second courtyard is Shaohua Courtyard. From spring to autumn, white and pink flowers bloom profusely in the courtyard. Carefully mixed wildflowers and fruit trees create a feast for the senses. A mist of water spurts out, showing the rainbow colors of the sun. The water column condenses on the rockery formed by volcanic block stones, and the trickle runs along the moss and rock grass. Shaohua Courtyard symbolizes the youth of life, and the light and vitality give rise to strength and dreams. As the seasons change, the colors, textures, and smells in the courtyard also change, adding radiance to and completing with young life.

The third courtyard is Huaixiao Courtyard, the last journey continues downwards and leads to the final and largest courtyard. Here, the path of life begins to merge. Quiet, curiosity, confusion, and delight are turned into smiles here. A set of brick steps follow the undulating wall, creating the possibility of gathering and stop.

The Dutch designers’ exhibition park is designed by West8 Urban Planning and Landscape Design Firm. West 8 is an urban planning and landscape design firm that has won many international awards. Founded in 1987 in Rotterdam, The Netherlands, it is the representative of art, urban planning and ecological landscape designers. “In the Time Garden, visitors can climb, sit down, or take pictures, or share their garden trip stories. The quiet gardens come to vitality and life. We hope that these trees, shrubs and soil can evoke emotional resonance using these different designs,” said the designer.