A Photographic Study of the Jardin Majorelle

Morocco has my heart. I visited once in 2018 and completely fell in love with the country. Starting in Casablanca, I toured for just over two weeks exploring cities, driving through the Atlas mountains, venturing into the desert and following the Atlantic coastline back to Marrakech. I remember shedding a tear on the flight home as I digested the whole experience. For that short time I had felt completely detached from my own life and had instead been immersed in this incredible new culture. In that short time Morocco had made a profound impression on me. I found a country rich in beautifully diverse landscapes and I had met a people who were evidently exceedingly happy living a life far simpler than mine. I was truly inspired.

I know I’m not the only one. Morocco has inspired visitors for centuries, including well-known artists such as Jimi Hendrix, Henri Matisse, Bob Marley and the creator of the extraordinary Majorelle Garden…

In 1923 French Orientalist painter, Jacques Majorelle, began working on what would become a 40 year project to create this beautiful home and garden in Marrakech. It features a striking cobalt blue Cubist villa designed by architect Paul Sinoir. This dazzling colour was inspired by the vibrant tiles Majorelle had seen around the city and in Berber homes. Celebrating the culture of his adopted country, he was determined to use it extensively not only in the buildings, but throughout the garden. He repeated this vivid blue with a contrasting rich terracotta and lemon yellow in the walls, the paths and even the plant pots. These pops of colour draw the eye and dance amongst the soft green tones of the impressive planting. The effect is a playful and cohesive colour palette which knits the whole space together beautifully.

Majorelle went so far as to patent the colour before his death and decades later, his signature ‘bleu Majorelle’ colour conjures up visions of this very special garden gem hidden away in a corner of Marrakech.

The property and surrounding gardens fell into disrepair after Majorelle’s death in 1962. Some twenty years later it was rediscovered by fashion designers Yves Saint-Laurent and Pierre Bergé. Impressed by the original creative vision and seeing its potential, they purchased the property and began work to restore the house and gardens to the glorious celebration of colour, design and botany which visitors enjoy today.

My degree in architecture taught me a thing or too about the skill and effort that goes in to designing a space which enhances the experience of the user. This applies to green spaces just as much as built ones and I’m in awe of anybody who can imagine and create spaces as exquisite as this one. It’s a gift which, when executed well, can enrich the lives of generations to come.

As a keen gardener, studying and photographing botanical landscapes on film is such a joy for me and I’m excited to share more garden photography here. If you have a green space you’d like me to record on film, do reach out I’d love to work with you.