Open Spaces — Marrakech

Jardin Majorelle
Botanical Jewel & creative Oasis of Yves Saint Laurent PREV

Photos: Florencia Serrot & Jardin Majorelle
Text: Florencia Serrot

Go throught the entrance, pass that wall and enter a different galaxy. That was the first impression once I was inside. And slowly as I was walking around the Jardin Majorelle, the only sentence that my head couldn´t stop repiting was OMG, what an amazing place for having parties with friends. What an amazing place.

And sudden images started to create by themselves. Like as it was a direct shoot of visual inspiration, sort of recalling the scenes of a movie I hadn’t seen but could envisioned. Really cool inputs!The Parisian vision of what is Morocco becomes reality in the Jardin Majorelle. The bamboo forest giving you the welcome once you get inside, the cacti, the water everywhere. The perfect mix of Colors and landscape.

smartvolta-volta-smart-places-jardin-majorelle1

The history of this wonderful botanical garden and museum is fascinating. The French artist Jacques Majorelle (expat living in Morocco for years) bought this estate around 1930, after spending several years living in France and Marrakech, when Morocco was still part of the French Protectorate.
Once he restored the villa, he used land to create his dream garden, with one of the biggest private plant collections that exist. For the buildings and constructed elements, he used a wonderful bright cyan blue to which he gave his name: Blue Majorelle, turning the garden into one of the most special places in the world.
Since the 1940s, the garden can be visited by the public.

It wasn’t until the 70´s when the fashion designer Yves Saint Laurent and his partner Pierre Bergé decided to acquire it, to have it as the second residence and combine it with Paris.
For many years, this place was the creative oasis of Saint Laurent. The inspiration that Morocco brought to the couple, in terms of the way of life and light that reminded the designer to his native Algeria, was a key influence which brought a torrent of new ideas to apply to his collections.
Nowadays the garden houses the Berber Museum, with a very special collection of Berber culture and art. Representing a rich panorama of the various indigenous tribes, the most ancient of North Africa, whether sedentary or nomadic, the Museums holds more than 60,000 objects that reflect their culture, crafts and way of living.