Outdoor Invitation
By Jan-Marie Petersen
For many Luther students, the Library Lawn is sacred ground. It's been the
site of picnics, sunbathing, activity fairs, Frisbee games, and even naked soccer.
It does exactly what master landscape architect Jens Jensen intended it to-it
beckons people to experience nature. Whether Luther students know it or not,
the Library Lawn is one of three clearings that Jensen planned for the college
in 1911. The other two open spaces were in front of Main and also where the
Center of Faith and Life now sits.
Jensen did more than create clearings; he enhanced the campus by giving it a
sense of fluidness and continuity. According to "The Luther College Campus:
The Landscape Vision of Jens Jensen" written by John Christianson, "Jensen
did away with straight lines and replaced them with curves that flowed naturally"
(Christianson). One can notice this effect by looking at the curving sidewalks
around Luther. To continue with idea of "flowing" places, Jensen felt
that it was essential that the college always maintain a view of the Upper Iowa
River.
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Jens Jenson
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Furthermore, the Jensen plan also integrated the use of native plants
such as oaks, maples, white pines, wild plums, hawthorns, wild roses,
birches, and crabapple trees (to name a few). These plants were placed
in such a way that incorporated contrasts between light and shadow. For
instance sidewalks typically moved from sunlight to shade and then back
to sunlight again.
More than 90 years have passed since Jensen put his landscape plan into
motion for Luther College. Although one can still see the main elements
of Jensen's vision, some portions of it have been neglected. For example,
the CFL was built on one of the three clearings designed by Jensen. In
addition, through the years people have planted trees and other flora
on the landscape where Jensen did not plan to have them. Mark Muggli,
a Luther College faculty member and a proponent of the Jensen landscape
plan, said that although these landscape additions are not harmful to
the environment, they are "an ascetic choice that undermines the
principles [Jensen] was working with" (personal communication, April
19, 2004).
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There are some in the Luther College community who are trying to renew the
Jensen vision. A grant proposal for $160,000 was recently written by Mark Muggli,
Jon Jensen, Jon Lund, and Jeanie Lovell. According to Muggli, the grant would
allow the college to work with outside planners and internal education programs.
One problem that the team recognizes is that when Jensen designed the landscape,
the college only owned 33 acres, which is where the central campus is today.
Over time the college was expanded to about 800 acres and, therefore, it is
not possible to have a completely authentic Jensen landscape that would incorporate
the entire campus. However, the grant would hire professionals knowledgeable
about the work of Jens Jensen to envision how the college could integrate Jensen
ideas into the areas of campus not included in the original plan.
Additionally, it is probably not possible to return to the exact 1911 landscaping
on the portion of campus that was designed by Jensen. Obviously, the college
is notgoing to tear down the CFL just to have a clearing in that area. However,
Muggli mentioned that future planning might affect the alignment and position
of some of the on-campus roads, such as the one running past the CFL and through
Library Lawn. However, Muggli said that overall, a renewal of the Jensen landscape
plan would benefit the college by making the campus look "a lot more attractive
to perspective students and their parents, as well as making it a better and
more beautiful campus for those who are here…It could make the whole campus
a living curriculum" (personal communication, April 19, 2004).