by Nick Lancaster, Associate, BrightGuide Africa

African Architecture spotlight: Le Jardin Secret

In this monthly series, BrightGuide showcases a sample of the many varied and striking architectural styles that run through the continent. The series explores how different built environments interact with their local contexts and surroundings, shining a light on a range of aesthetics from beauty, to innovation, to sheer quirkiness. 

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This month’s African Architecture spotlight moves northwards to Marrakech, Morocco. There, we uncover a small pocket of calm hidden amongst the energy and verve that encapsulates the city: Le Jardin Secret.  

A fraught history

This ancient botanical garden has gone through several cycles of decay, restoration, and regeneration since its original iteration in the late 16th century. As such, its current architectural design is interwoven within a long and complicated history preceding the space we see today. 

In fact, the original Le Jardin built by the ruling Saadian Sutan Moulay ‘Abd-Allah was destroyed about a century later, and for nearly two centuries there was nothing. The Saadian Sultanate was a dynasty of rulers who governed present-day Morocco across the 16th and 17th century, and the destruction of Le Jardin was driven by the Alaouite sultan Moulay Rashid who helped to topple the Saadian dynasty from power after centuries of rule. It formed part of a wider planned eradication of the Saadian dynasty’s urban legacies in a bid to express this political shift through a new built environment.

Politics and poison

It was only at the start of the 19th century that the garden was painstaking rebuilt by a qaid (local chief) called kaid al-Hajj Abd-Allah U-Bihi. The designs were a near perfect imitation of those seen under the Saadian dynasty and a replacement palace was also built to accompany the gardens. However, ownership of Le Jardin is apparently a precarious occupation. U-Bihi had his tea poisoned by the ruling Sultan Muhammad IV shortly after its construction, after being suspected of playing politics in a manner that aroused suspicion. Whether those suspicions were produced by paranoia or genuine concerns remains unclear. The property then proceeded to change hands repeatedly, from judges to chamberlains and other members of high society, oftentimes driven by accompanying political conflict.  

In 1934, when then occupant al-Hajj Muhammad Loukrissi passed away, the entire place once more fell into abandonment.  

One last regeneration?

It was only in 2008 that discussion of a new restoration began, and in 2016 it opened once more after the meticulous work of design practice Tom Stuart-Smith. On their website, the practice describes demarcating the overall layout of the space and working closely with local nurseries who drove helped to drive the project. They describe one of the larger courtyards as “an Islamic paradise garden, reflecting the pure geometry and Koranic symbolism of its progenitors”.  

Perhaps most significantly, this latest instalment in Le Jardin’s history also represents the first time it has been made available to members of the public. Although it remains one of Marrakech’s better kept secrets, more and more people are discovering this oasis of tranquillity and stillness protected by 30 ft walls from the hum of the surrounding medina.  

Le Jardin is composed of two discreet riads in rectangular formation that run seamlessly alongside the different gardens. A tower, hammam, and qubba (tomb structure) all feature as you pass through the space with the tower offering the second-highest viewpoint in the city, and the highest publicly available one.  

From the tower, panoramic views are available of the sprawling medina set against the backdrop of the giant Atlas Mountains. The building walls are largely made up of Tadelakt (a typical Moroccan waterproof plaster surface), Bejmat tiles from Fez, and varied geometric patterns which all add to the quiet beauty of this miniature-built environment. And, of course, running through these designs are the stunning gardens showcasing plants and flowers from around the world. 

As word continues to spread, Le Jardin Secret may struggle to retain its relatively low profile compared to some of Marrakech’s more famous gardens. But the space also possesses an air of mystique that has travelled across several eras of history, and a few more tourists probably isn’t going to shift that.   

 

If you enjoyed this instalment of our African Architecture spotlight, be sure to check out our article on Ethiopia’s striking Lideta Mercato from last month. You can also sign up to our monthly newsletter here, which features the African Architecture spotlight and much much more!