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Pioneers Oral Histories

Nicholas Quennell Oral History

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Noted New York City-based landscape architect Nicholas Quennell shares his life, career, and design philosophy in the twelfth installment of the award-winning Pioneers of American Landscape Design oral history series.

Quennell is acclaimed for his work on many important historic parks, his civic leadership (he was president of the New York City Art Commission), and his innovative collaborations with noted artists such as Maya Lin and Barbara Kruger.

Oral History Framework

Video Clips are divided into three categories: BIOGRAPHY, DESIGN, and PROJECTS
Each clip is between 1 and 4 minutes long.

Interview: Nicholas Quennell was interviewed in his Manhattan office in October 2013.

Reflections: Nicholas Quennell has been a practitioner and educator in the United States for more than fifty years. The Cultural Landscape Foundation contacted his colleagues and professional associates to share their stories and memories.

YouTube Clip Listing by Category


BIOGRAPHY 1. The War Years At the outbreak of World War II, Quennell and his family fled London for Cheltenham. 2. Drawing from an Early Age An early interest in comic books inspired Quennell to create his own. 3. Art was My Major Quennell debated whether to pursue art or architecture his last year of high school. 4. Hymn Pool A scandal broke after Quennell set up a betting pool at school – and the historic event that saved him. 5. London’s Architectural Association At the school Quennell learns about Modernism from Leonard Manasseh, for whom he subsequently works. 6. The Bay Area and Halprin’s Office Quennell’s early career – working for iconic Modernist landscape architect Lawrence Halprin. 7. Hitting the Big Time Amid the frenzy of the contemporary art world, Quennell has work in a major exhibition at the influential Dwan Gallery. 8. Moving to NYC Breaking into the New York art scene proved harder than Quennell originally thought. 9. The Chelsea Hotel Quennell’s first home in New York City is a famous center of creativity and artistic expression. 10. The Graduate School of Design Influential landscape architect Hideo Sasaki convinced Quennell that Harvard was the place to study. 11. The Art Commission Appointed by the mayor, Quennell had an impact on the design of city property in New York’s five boroughs. 12. New York City Parks Then and Now Peter Rothschild shares how New York City parks changed from the 1970s through the Bloomberg Administration 40 years later. 13. Landscape as Palimpsest Andy Moore, Alison Shipley, and Mark Bunnell share their experiences working in New York City.		DESIGN 1. Olmsted, Vaux, and the New York Parks Quennell explains how Central Park’s designers understood the complexities of park design and the public’s needs. 2. Maintaining a Connection to the Past Looking back provides powerful inspiration for Quennell and his design work. 3. Small Structures as Focal Points Creating places where people can gather to celebrate both community and communally. 4. Every Relationship is a Collaboration Quennell shares how everyone has something to teach him. 5. Collaborations with Artists Working with others, like Maya Lin and Barbara Kruger, is an opportunity to enrich the design. 6. Being a Good Critic Listening is an essential part of giving constructive feedback. 7. On Robert Moses Quennell expresses his feelings about the controversial New York City parks commissioner and his legacy. 8. The Need for Maintenance Building is easy – funding maintenance is the real challenge that parks face going forward. 9. Landscape Architects do it Better Open space and parks are a vital part of cities—and users should appropriate them. 10. The Future Looking ahead, Quennell warns that we must vigilantly guard the open space we have.		PROJECTS 1. Ghirardelli Square Quennell describes his role in helping design the San Francisco landmark during his time with Lawrence Halprin. 2. Fort Tryon Quennell rehabilitated one of the crown jewels of the NYC park system aided by Olmsted drawings. 3. New York City’s Sakura Park An under-utilized park on the Upper East Side was re-connected to the surrounding community. 4. New York City’s East River 60th Street Pavilion After thwarting private development, Quennell enlisted artist Alice Aycock in his design for the site. 5. New York City’s Tony Capobianco Field Quennell’s first big project on Roosevelt Island, which was undergoing significant redevelopment. 6. New York City’s Lighthouse Park A non-functioning lighthouse became the centerpiece of a project on Roosevelt Island’s northern tip. 7. Central Park Children’s Zoo Quennell created an inviting and enriching environment in one of New York’s most beloved spaces. 8. Green-Wood Cemetery The historic Brooklyn burial ground required a design approach that respected the past and allowed for future growth. 9. Trinity College Finding the right balance between open space and buildings on the campus of Connecticut’s second oldest university. 10. Harborfront Park A Long Island, N.Y. town’s neglected waterfront is transformed into its central park. 11. Museum Park at the North Carolina Museum of Art One of Quennell’s favorite projects, the museum expansion allowed for an inspiring collaboration with Barbara Kruger, Laurie Hawkinson, and Henry Smith-Miller.

Production Credits and Acknowledgments

EXECUTIVE PRODUCER
Charles A. Birnbaum, FASLA, FAAR

DIRECTOR/EDITOR
Gina M. Angelone
SA KWA Pictures

INTERVIEWER
Charles A. Birnbaum, FASLA, FAAR

PROJECT MANAGERS
Nancy Slade, ASLA
Barrett Doherty, ASLA

CINEMATOGRAPHERS
James Callanan
Filipe Bessa

ADDITIONAL CINEMATOGRAPHY & EDITING
Barrett Doherty, ASLA

COMPOSER
Brian Cho

The Cultural Landscape Foundation would like to thank the many people who contributed to making the Nicholas Quennell Oral History a reality.

A project such as this comes to life through the efforts of many individuals and organizations. Thank you to Nicholas Quennell and Grace Tankersley for their friendship, good humor and for making time in their busy schedules. They and the staff at Quennell Rothschild & Partners were extremely helpful in providing exceptional access to the firm’s records including hundreds of photographs; special thanks goes to Andy Moore for helping with the logistics of the location videography and providing insights and guidance about the firm’s photographs. Additional thanks goes to: The Wildlife Conservation Society for providing access to the Central Park Children’s Zoo; Richard Moylan, Jeffrey Richman and the staff at Green-Wood Cemetery for providing all of the historic James Smillie prints and the matched historic and contemporary photography; Milestone Films and Video for graciously allowing us to use footage from Shirley Clarke’s short film Bridges-Go-Round; Trinity College for images of their historic campus; and Elizabeth Christopher at the American Archives of Art for giving priority to our requests. We are especially grateful to the American Society of Landscape Architects (ASLA), our Annual Sponsor for their continued support.

There were many generous Sponsors: Eleanor and Charlton Ames; Suzanne and Rich Clary; Leslie Rose Close; Steven Kossak; Quennell Rothschild & Partners, LLP; The Rifkind Family Foundation; and Tillett Lighting Design, Inc. Supporting Sponsors include: American Society of Landscape Architects - New York Chapter; Balmori Associates; Mac K. Griswold; The J.M. Kaplan Fund; Barbara Kruger; Arleyn and Newt Levee; The Robert and Joyce Menschel Family Foundation; and Grace Tankersley and Nicholas Quennell.

Photographs, prints, and drawings reproduced courtesy of the following individuals and institutions:
Alice Aycock; Charles A. Birnbaum; Eddie Crimmons; Barrett Doherty; Tom Fox; Carl Glassman / Tribeca Trib.; Green-Wood Cemetery; Russell Hart; Tony Kirman; Kristine Larsen; W.F. Mainland; Herbert Maruska; Peter Mauss courtesy Etto; Bette Midler; Milestone Films and Video; Sara Cedar Miller; Andrew Moore; Nicholas Quennell; Quennell Rothschild & Partners; Jeffrey Richman; Elizabeth Barlow Rogers; Alison Shipley; Christopher Skory; Henry Smith-Miller; Sarah Stierch; Grace Tankersley; Tupper Thomas; Trinity College; and Robert Wash.

University Archives:
Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institute
Dwan Gallery. Los Angeles Exhibition Files: Arena of Love 1965 January 1
Dwan Gallery. Los Angeles Exhibition Files: Dakota Daley and Nicholas Quennell 1965 March 16

Northeastern University Archives and Special Collections Department
Freedom House Collection. Ed Logue of the Boston Redevelopment Authority speaks from a podium at an event for Charlame II. Photo by James F. McDevitt.

Royal Institute of British Architects Collections
Jane Drew sketching Maxwell Fry. Photographer unknown.
Government College for Women, sector 11, Chandigarh. Photographer unknown
'51 Bar by night, Festival of Britain, South Bank, London, with statue of 'Youth' by Daphne Hardy Henrion. Photo by Millar & Harris.
Rutherford Comprehensive School for Boys, Penfold Street (and Bell Street), Marylebone, London. Photo by Bill Toomey.
Leonard Manasseh at his '51 Bar, Festival of Britain, South Bank, London. Photo by Reginald Hugo de Burgh Galwey.

Nicholas Quennell Oral History

Nicholas Quennell Oral History

Oral History Framework

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