By Carol Sutton

Perhaps the most unusual aspect of the landscape design for the upcoming Floriade 2002 in The Netherlands is the integration of new material and contemporary styles into an existing woodland that contains various historic features and artifacts.

     The upcoming Floriade will be located on 50 hectares (125 acres) in the town of Haarlemmermeer, one of the 20 largest municipalities in The Netherlands, only a short distance from Amsterdam. Underlying the bold design plan is the determination of its Dutch planners to make their exhibition much more than just another a landscaped theme park.

     Floriade is staged in The Netherlands just once every 10 years. In 2002, the site is Haarlemmermeer, a mere five kilometres from Amsterdam's Schiphol International Airport. This will be the fifth Floriade. Previous sites have included Rotterdam (1960); Amsterdam (1982 and 1972) and The Hague-Zoetermeer (1992).

     Floriade 2002 is an initiative of the Dutch Horticultural Council (NTR), which is organizing the event in cooperation with the Haarlemmermeer community. The event is governed by an independent foundation, the 'International World Exhibition Floriade 2002'. Her Majesty Queen Beatrix of The Netherlands is its patroness.

     Approximately 800 professional, trade and volunteer groups are involved - contributing money, knowledge, support and operations, representing an investment of about fl200 million ($140 million CAD). Following the event, the Floriade site will remain a permanent park, linking up a series of preserved areas into the "green scheme" of the area.

     The chosen site for Floriade 2002 - the Haarlemmermeer polder (i.e. reclaimed land) - already contained stately trees, full-sized shrubs and a small natural lake. The rest of the area is being developed from scratch, in a sleek, modern style that artfully combines a contemporary setting within the romantic existing forest.

     To maintain the aged forest appearance, Floriade's designers are integrating the newly installed plant materials among the ones currently on the site, to look as if Mother Nature had done all the work. For instance, the present marshy area, beyond the lake, will be allowed to grow into a natural garden by show time. The indigenous flora and fauna of the polder will be highlighted to optimal effect. Further, in a major break from tradition, the designers have installed mature trees and plants, rather than saplings and new materials. Although the financial investment required to plant large specimens is much greater - and hence, riskier - even at this point in the site development, the impact on this burgeoning site validates the choice.

Natural and modern styles combine
In the words of chief designer landscape architect Niek Roozen: "The site has everything we need: an attractive body of water, shorelines, and a variety of levels. We have been given a free hand to make creative use of this area, with due consideration for the existing natural values. "We aim to make this Floriade 'an oasis in the polder '. We want visitors to be pleasantly surprised again and again as they tour the exhibition, and fascinated by the many contrasts of the design we are developing.

     "Our objective is to make each section an exciting discovery for the visitors, as they move from one to the next. We want visitors to be captivated from the beginning to the end of their visit," he says.

     Running straight through the middle of Floriade is an ancient defense wall - the Geniedijk - that formed part of the historic fortifications of Amsterdam. Bordered on both sides by water, in which its austere architectural shape is reflected, the Geniedijk stands in dramatic contrast to the natural reed-filled shoreline on the far side of the water.

     Adjacent to the Floriade site is the Cruquius steam pumping station, a monument to the reclamation of the Haarlemmermeer polder in 1852, the 150th anniversary of which will be celebrated in 2002.

     The first stage, construction of the basic park, is now complete. The finer details of the Floriade site are scheduled for completion by the year 2000. Only after that will the exhibits be delivered. Nevertheless, they already are being prepared.

A demonstration of public green techniques
Throughout Floriade 2002, landscaping displays are being designed around the theme "the right plant in the right place" to emphasize the importance of choosing a planting strategy that is justified from a technical as well as an economic point of view.

     Says Jan Habets, managing director of Plant Publicity Holland (PPH), "Floriade is one huge public green space. Everywhere one looks, in the parking lots, along the entrance ways, and throughout the site, nursery stock is being used correctly, according to location and soil conditions."

     PPH, the Dutch nursery growers' and exporters' association, is co-ordinating the collective entry of the Dutch nursery sector. Their displays will feature both plants and actual landscaping examples for both professionals and the home (consumer) market. For instance, in the landscaping sector, PPH will demonstrate how to use the right plant in the right place, vis-à-vis environmental aspects and low maintenance, among other considerations.

     For the consumer market, the focus is on the idea of year-round gardening. "Thanks to the cultivation in pots and containers, the selection of nursery products is so extensive today that there are many ornamental plants available throughout the year," Mr. Habets says.

     "Consequently, we feel there is ample opportunity to work in the garden, on the balcony or patio, or inside the home, well beyond the traditional planting season," he continues.

Features of Floriade

• Floriade 2002 will present a truly green face to the world.
• The main entrance will boast a wide array of trees, shrubs, and flowers. The first point visitors will encounter is a large square, around which most of the covered exhibitions will be located - some 30,000 sq. metres (approx. 35,880 sq. yards) of them. They will house the greenhouses for cut flowers, potted plants and food crops, and the exhibition hall. The press centre, the Green Trade Centre, restaurants and a conference centre will also be accommodated there.
• In the centre of the square, visitors will find an ornamental pond, to be crossed by way of a 190-metre (approx. 623 ft.) long floating bridge.
• Beyond the square, by way of a wide green swath over the two major access roads, visitors will enter the woods, where the collective and individual entries of ornamental plant and food crop growers will be situated. International entries will be located in both the woods and close to the main entrance. The national cultures of the guest countries, as well as their plants and horticultural expertise, will be highlighted in some 25 international pavilions.
• Dutch national entries are planned for a meadow - 60 by 60 meters (approx. 38,750 sq.ft.) - surrounded by hedges. Here, municipalities, horticultural production and export companies and a variety of sponsors will stage their exhibits, including flowers, bulbs, perennials, aquatic plants, ferns, roses, shrubs and trees (park, fruit, ornamental, etc.) in great profusion.
• A singular landmark created for the Floriade is a lookout hill, 40 metres high. It is called Big Spotters Hill, thanks to its vantage point for "spotting" airplanes at nearby Schiphol Airport, as well as its superb view of all sections of the site, surrounding countryside and nearby cities and towns.
• Well-designed pathways take visitors through all of the main points of the exhibition in just one day. One will be shaped like a figure "8" - 5.5 km long- along which approximately 75 per cent of the exhibits will be situated. In addition, the site is being divided into sections by means of two circular routes, one 2.5 km and the other just 1 km long, interconnected by paths 1 km in length, all of which eventually join the main path. An internal transportation system will connect all parts of the site, including the ascent of Big Spotters Hill and some secluded areas that would be very difficult to reach on foots.

"IT" Aids Plans for Floriade
In addition to horticultural developments, Floriade 2002 will feature state-of-the-art information technology (IT), giving the exhibition world-wide, instant accessibility. The professional visitor will be able to retrieve any information he or she wants, aided both by the local system and by links to other, large databases. For the consumer, comparable facilities will be available. The IT system will also provide the organizers and exhibitors with data about the number of visitors to Floriade and a wealth of data for processing after the exhibition ends.

     Floriade will use its IT system for advance ticket sales, parking logistics, visitor registration and identification. The system is flexible enough to encompass technological developments that occur between now and the exhibition's opening on April 10, 2002.

     Nevertheless, the technology will remain largely invisible, for Floriade is primarily an event filled with colour and action. In fact, organizers stress that Floriade will have the character of a festival rather than a spectacle.

     This exhibition is being organized by a consortium of some 800 parties (e.g. exhibitors, developers and sponsors); however, the staff complement is small and is expected to grow to only 50 by opening day. On the other hand, the creation of Floriade 2002 will provide about 3,000 man-years of employment.

     The exhibition's marketing strategy is to capitalize on the activities of major partners - such as banks and other large players. The exhibition's theme ("Floriade colours your world"), is broad enough to encompass a wide variety of treatments and activities by all of the companies and bureaus involved in the creation and running of the Floriade.

     Despite an investment of some fl200 million ($100 million U.S.), the net financial goals are very modest because Floriade is a non-profit enterprise.

     The International Exhibitions Bureau (BIE: Bureau International des Exhibitions) has recently given Floriade 2002 A-1 status, in recognition of its international importance. This rating also shows that the combined effort of the public and private sectors can be successful in an event as large as this one.

     The organizers have learned from the experience of other exhibitions of a comparable size, such as Disneyworld. The logistics and potential problems are the same, to a large extent. However, there is one big difference: Floriade 2002 will have just one chance to do it right. For an on-line preview of Floriade 2002,visit their website at http://www.floriade.nl

Professional visitors welcome
In 2002, approximately 3.8 million visitors from across the globe, at least one third of whom will be from abroad, will explore this outstanding exhibition. The fifth since the initial exhibition in 1960, the upcoming exhibition's theme is "Floriade colours your world."

     For horticultural professionals, the exhibition will offer a wealth of opportunities to view the breadth and depth of the nursery stock selection, and to examine many different applications of the plant materials.

     PPH is devoted to linking green industry professionals with their Dutch counterparts, both during the Floriade and on an ongoing basis. On site, visiting professionals will be welcomed in the Green Trade Centre where material about the exhibition in general, and specific information on individual exhibitors and the various horticultural sectors, will be available.

     Visits to Dutch companies also may be arranged through the staff at the Green Trade Centre. Their mandate is to tailor the information and itinerary requested, to the needs of each professional visitor. For instance, while at Floriade, many nursery professionals may choose to visit the nearby growing areas: tree nurseries in the Boskoop district; flower bulbs between Haarlem and Lisse and in West Friesland and the northern Zandgebied; vegetables and fruit also in West Friesland and Langedijk. The 10 most important horticultural auctions are close by, including the flower auctions at Aalsmeer and Flora in Rijnsburg.

     The Netherlands plays a leading role in the world in the export of flowers, plants, fruit and vegetables. In 1998, the combined export value of these was fl18 billion ($9 billion U.S.). The goal of Floriade is to epitomize the excellence of this industry and present a flower show that is unique in the world.