“The primary purpose of the structure must be to house plant life.” – Haarkon
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Glasshouse Greenhouse is an ode to structures, big and small, which house plant life. Over the last few years, Sheffield-based photographers India Hobson and Magnus Edmondson (aka Haarkon) have documented their experiences of botanical spaces around the world. Beginning with an unassuming visit to the University of Oxford’s botanical garden, the duo have fuelled their enthusiasm for these sites by developing a multi-fold relationship: plants, travel, design, photography and writing all unfurl and intwine in this, their first publication.
Upon first glance, the book radiates luscious, soft green hues: large-scale scenes of botany opulently showcase Haarkon’s ability to capture the stillness and tranquility of these spaces. Throughout, the reader is able to unpick elements of a Scandinavian aesthetic, from the images’ gentle tonality to the simplicity with which the pages are laid out – there is, of course, the overriding theme of nature which features prominently in Scandinavian design. Haarkon’s hallmark style – one which flows from their popular blog and Instagram feed – frames and delivers their topic perfectly.
Glasshouse Greenhouse is far from a reference book on botanical structures: the volume favours sentiment over information. Throughout, a beautifully self-reflective narrative compliments the wide-angle shots of geometric glass ceilings and the close-up compositions of patterned leaves. It keeps the duo, neither of whom are botanical specialists, grounded in their discoveries: it too, is a welcome change to the reader whom explores these international case studies with the guidance of a friendly and modest voice.
Divided into seven chapters, History, Specimen, Community, Research, Pleasure, Hobbyist and Architecture, Glasshouse Greenhouse ensures a wholesome approach to its subject – it’s refreshing to be taken on a thematic ‘tour’ rather than a chronological or geographical one, though short introductions to each section wouldn’t go amiss. ‘History’ features examples of spaces with their own stories to tell: Conservatory of Flowers in San Francisco is built entirely of wood and has survived, since 1879, two fires, an earthquake and multiple storms.
‘Specimen’ identifies sites which shelter specific types of plants such as Tatton Park’s Fernery in Knutsford and Yorkshire Sculpture Park’s The Camellia House in West Yorkshire, while ‘Hobbyist’ takes an even more modest approach by highlighting smaller enterprises like the DIY Allotment Greenhouses in Sheffield. Notably, though, ‘Hobbyist’ and ‘Community’ are the two shortest chapters: precedence is given to ‘Pleasure’ and ‘Architecture.’ The former focuses on tourist destinations such as Singapore’s Cloud Forest which quietly flaunts the thrills of leisure structures.
The latter, ‘Architecture,’ is the most design-orientated chapter: it focuses on the greenhouses rather than the plants within them. Vast and ornate, many of the examples – Tropical Display Dome in Queensland and The Kibble Palace in Glasgow – illustrate the ways in which James Paxton’s lily-inspired designs have been expanded upon. But, true to form, Haarkon have nestled Sunhouse in San Francisco between the pages of these grandiose spaces. A white, stumpy shed sits behind a lifestyle shop – it’s small and unimpressive from the outside – the beauty is in its material: attainable, reclaimed wood.
Haarkon comments that “we are entralled by these places where man and nature come together, and we find the connection between engineering and nature endlessly fascinating.” This ongoing relationship between man and nature is an ever-prominent concern against the backdrop of climate change – but rather than focus upon the incongruences between man and nature, the duo see greenhouses as a place where “the organic and the engineered become a little confused, mixed up and grow wild together.” Glasshouse Greenhouse is a visual joy that picks the reader up and out, into a dreamy world of rainy days spent surrounded by flora, teaching, through attention to botanical subtleties and delicate journal-writing, how to nurture sensibility in the 21st century.
– reviewed for Photomonitor by Selina Oakes
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Below, images from Glasshouse Greenhouse © India Hobson and Magnus Edmondson, Haarkon, published by Pavilion Books. For details on ordering Glasshouse Greenhouse please visit the Haarkon website.
