A designer's sketch of the IFLA Garden, in the shape like a sailing boat when seen from above. [Photo provided to ezhejiang.gov.cn]
The International Federation of Landscape Architects, or IFLA is set to make its first appearance at the 15th China (Wenzhou) International Garden Expo — located in Wenzhou, East China's Zhejiang province — with a dedicated exhibition garden.
The expo will run in the coastal city from April to July in 2026.
Unlike other city-themed gardens, the IFLA Garden will highlight global landscape ideals and have as its mission the promotion of ecological balance, education and international cooperation.
Designed by a team led by Professor Zhu Yufan of Tsinghua University, the 2,600-square-meter garden is conceived to resemble a voyaging ship, drawing on Wenzhou's maritime heritage and the imagery of the ancient Maritime Silk Road.
Abstract continental plates in it will symbolize IFLA's five regional chapters, while details such as compasses, drift bottles and ship structures reference navigation history.
Set at the foot of Wenzhou's Laohu Mountain alongside international gardens from the United States and the Netherlands, the IFLA Garden will aim to underscore the theme of humans as "green guardians". It is expected to not only attract visitors during the expo, but also to serve as a lasting green space for locals.
Founded in 1948 in Cambridge, the United Kingdom, IFLA is the world's leading landscape architecture organization, with members from 80 national associations.
It annually hosts the IFLA World Congress, most recently in Istanbul. The next congress will take place in Nantes, France, focusing on guiding landscapes in urban and regional development.
