A look back - Fred Tschopp — LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTURE AOTEAROA

Fred Tschopp

Swiss-American landscape architect Fred Tschopp lived and worked in New Zealand between 1929 and 1932 and has been described as the country’s first modern landscape architect. Somewhat unusual for the time, he was more concerned with designing well-functioning urban spaces than attractive gardens.

Writing about the Auckland Domain in the New Zealand Herald in 1931, Tschopp argued that ‘something more comprehensive than “landscape gardening”’ was required – and that thing was, he said, landscape architecture. The phrase was not unheard of in New Zealand, but had not made the leap from concept to reality before Tschopp’s arrival.

*Fred Tschopp's plan for the approach to Whakarewarewa, Rotorua*

Tschopp was employed to design new public spaces in Auckland, Wellington and Rotorua. His first project was the development of the Mount Albert Borough Council reserves in Auckland. He was interested in the different ways outdoor spaces could be used, and his designs incorporated sport and recreational facilities such as bowling greens, playgrounds and pedestrian paths. The traditional flower beds were replaced with low-maintenance shrubs and trees, which were mainly native.

Tschopp’s preference for native plants was fairly unusual, and he pioneered their use in public spaces following the example of Leonard Cockayne, who established the native botanic garden at Ōtari-Wilton’s Bush in Wellington in 1926. Native plants were an important element of Parliament grounds, which he designed in 1930. Many of the large trees still standing in the 21st century were planted under Tschopp’s design, and his road and footpath layouts remain in place.

Tschopp’s largest project was designing reserves and streetscapes in Rotorua between 1930 and 1932. He covered what are now standard landscape architecture concerns: street layouts, transport, recreation, urban zoning and public art.

Fred Tschopp plan for Mount Albert Domain

Fred Tschopp Landscape Architecture Scholarship

This scholarship is available for those beginning or studying Master of Landscape Architecture at Unitec. The Fred Tschopp Senior Scholarship is made possible by a generous Endowment made by its Founder Fred Jr. and the New Zealand and California Tschopp Family.

This article is reprinted from Te Ara - the Encyclopedia of New Zealand: Kerryn Pollock, 'Landscape architecture - The emergence of the landscape architect, 1930s to 1960s', Te Ara - the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, http://www.TeAra.govt.nz/en/landscape-architecture/page-2 (accessed 14 August 2023)

Story by Kerryn Pollock, published 22 Oct 2014, updated 26 Mar 2015