Cornelia Hahn Oberlander, the award-winning Canadian landscape architect, is the subject of the book Making the Modern Landscape, written by Susan Herrington, Professor of Landscape Architecture at the University of British Columbia. Oberlander and Herrington will discuss the book, followed by a dialogue with Professor Alissa North, Director of the Daniels Faculty's Landscape Architecture program.

Making the Modern Landscape will be available for order before and after the lecture. We were planning to have the books available for purchase, but, unfortunately, the publisher was not able to ship the books to us in time.

Cornelia Hahn Oberlander was born in 1921 and fled Nazi Germany at the age of 18, emigrating to the United States with her family. She was among the first class of women to graduate from the Harvard Graduate School of Design in 1947, receiving a degree in Landscape Architecture. Over the past 60 years, Oberlander has collaborated as Landscape Architect in a wide range of projects with noted internationally acclaimed architects such as Renzo Piano on the New York Times Building, Moshe Safdie on the National Gallery of Canada and the Vancouver Public Library as well as the late Arthur Erickson on Robson Square and the Museum of Anthropology. All projects are based on design concepts and studies of social, cultural and physical features of a given site. To each project Cornelia attempts to bring the mastery of the art and the science of the profession. Cornelia has always been mindful of the environment and is a leader in researching green solutions.

In the words of the Governor General in presenting the Order of Canada to Cornelia:

“Canada’s premier landscape architect, she is known for integrating her designs in the overall architectural project with the natural environment, yet always adding a unique new vision and dimension. Her expert technical knowledge is coupled with her concern for expressing cultural, social and environmental concepts in her work and is reflected in her many projects for the young, the old, and for the public at large.”

In 2011, the International Federation of Landscape Architects bestowed on Cornelia the highest honour, the Sir Geoffrey Jellicoe Award, for her endeavors in building a greener future over the many years of her professional practice.

In 2012, the American Society of Landscape Architects bestowed on Cornelia the ASLA Medal, the Highest Honor of the American Society of Landscape Architects “in recognition of her unfaltering leadership and award-winning work in postwar landscape architecture in Canada and the United States. She is the embodiment of the multidisciplinary landscape architect who perpetually pursues aesthetic, ecological and technical possibilities to achieve worldwide community well-being.”

The Daniels Faculty is proud to host a popular public lecture series featuring leading professionals and academics in the fields of architecture, landscape architecture, urban design, and visual studies. All events are free and open to the public (unless otherwise stated). Tickets are not required for events at 230 College Street and seating is provided on a first come, first served basis. As many of our speakers attract capacity crowds, we recommend that you arrive early to avoid disappointment. Overflow rooms with a live video-feed of each lecture are set up in Room 106 for those unable to obtain a seat in the main lecture hall. We also post videos of most evening lectures on our YouTube channel. If you have any questions about upcoming events, please don’t hesitate to contact our Events and Communications Coordinator Pamela Walls at pamela.walls@daniels.utoronto.ca or 416-978-2253.