黑料社区

Richard Bodeker: Ambassador of Green in 黑料社区

Richard Bodeker: Ambassador of Green in 黑料社区
Richard Bodeker with Prince Sultan bin Salman. The German architect landscaper recently passed away, but his green print lives on in Riyadh. (Photo/Supplied)
Updated 06 December 2019

Richard Bodeker: Ambassador of Green in 黑料社区

Richard Bodeker: Ambassador of Green in 黑料社区
  • German landscape architect鈥檚 passion 鈥 to turn 黑料社区 into a lush garden 鈥 became his mission

RIYADH: For 46 years, Richard Bodeker听was devoted to turning 黑料社区 into a lush garden. The architect landscaper recently passed away, but his green print lives on as he is celebrated for his loving work.

Gardening runs deep in the family as both he and his wife鈥檚 family are in the profession. Bodeker considered himself blessed because he could do what he loved, working with plants and creating gardens.

鈥淗e developed a real love of 黑料社区 as his favorite country and created many lifelong friendships in the Kingdom,鈥 Bodeker鈥檚 son, Jens Bodeker, told Arab News.

His relationship with Saudi clients was special. They had a great mutual understanding, said his son. One of those special relationships was with Prince Sultan bin Salman, chairman of the Saudi Space Commission. Bodeker landscaped his Al-Uthaibat Ranch in Diriyah.

鈥淗e opened the doors to all his friends, clients,听colleagues and partners in 黑料社区. Most of his contacts became close friends to me, too,鈥澨齁ens said.

黑料社区 honored the late Bodeker and his works when the minister of culture, Prince Badr Al-Farhan, named a park in Riyadh鈥檚 diplomatic quarter after the talented landscaper.

Creativity is key and he was never daunted by developing a green oasis in the midst of a desert capital. 鈥淎s a plant lover, he was impressed by the survival strategies of desert plants. Acacia trees can develop 50-meter-deep roots to get water, for example. He was convinced to be able to water the trees by treated greywater which is produced by each citizen. So, each citizen could irrigate a tree by using water in the house,鈥 Jens said.


THE LIST

Richard Bodeker projects in 黑料社区:

  • 鈥業nitiative Green鈥 developing a greening strategy for the city in the 1990s
  • Diriyah Mosque landscape design
  • King Fahd Road, the green corridor听
  • MOMRA, park and roof greening
  • Ministry of Foreign Affairs staff housing
  • Court complex
  • King Abdul Aziz Historical Center parks and gardens
  • First ideas for King Salman Park, at that time Riyadh Public Park in the 1980s of last century
  • Thumamah Nature Park
  • Wadi Hanifah and Wadi Sulai as green lungs of Riyadh
  • Many private farms for members of the Royal family and many other clients
  • Initiation of a tree nursery for the Riyadh Development Authority
  • Regional park in Al-Hofuf,Jebel Qara

His vision to make use of the materials that can be found in nature with his strategy of 鈥渃ut and fill,鈥 in which he would cut Riyadh limestone and build a garden out of it. He maintained sustainability by using local sources for construction material. His approach was to create garden oases with local materials in respect of the site and the local culture, his son explained.

Bodeker鈥檚 passion was ramped with a desire to turn the desert capital into a green sanctuary. 鈥淗e possessed strength, persuasiveness and the ability to assert himself to even fight for green, gardens and uncommon ideas. This passion made him an ambassador for green in the Kingdom,鈥 he added.

Passion for his profession was the secret of his success: 鈥淕ardens and plants have been his lifelong loves,鈥 said Jens, adding that 鈥渢he creation of gardens was his real mission.鈥

Like father, like son听

Following his fathers鈥 footsteps, he inherited his passion and love for this country and landscape design from his father: 鈥淚 feel the same passion when it comes to greening the country to work with nature and to follow nature in design,鈥 he said.

鈥淗e shared his professional knowledge and passion for this country ... with me. The respect for tradition and culture in landscape design was essential,鈥 he added.

鈥淗is passion for landscape design, especially the challenge to green the desert set me on fire and carries me to continue what he started. His focus laid on local material, like the Riyadh limestone听and plants for arid regions to create lush garden oases.鈥

Of all his unique designs, Islamic gardens were the most symbolic. Jens explained: 鈥淚slamic gardens mirror paradise on earth with water, fruits and lush greens. He wanted to respond to this in his garden design works. Bodeker always saw gardens and green as the most important element in Riyadh.鈥

In 1993, Bodeker started the 鈥淚nitiative Green,鈥 which was Jens鈥 most significant influence.

The secret to great success is working with nature in environments, like the desert with its valleys, oases, escarpments, sand dunes and rock plains, he added.

鈥淚n Thumamah Nature Park, one can see the impact of land protection. The park is much greener than any landscape in the surroundings without that protection, just by fencing, nature recovers slowly,鈥 Jens said.

鈥淢y part is to give my contribution to developing the landscape and environment for the better and give nature a chance. I will follow in his footsteps and will stand up for green as an ambassador for green environments, parks and gardens.鈥

From childhood, he听and his brother had been strongly influenced by gardening and landscape design. For many years they worked together with their father. It was not always easy to work with him because his father had 鈥渁 strong personality.鈥 However, he noted that he found his own path which he learned through discussions听and debates 鈥渢o find my own place next to him.鈥