LeMay Sculpture Garden

Sprawling on 100 acres, this former military academy known as Marymount is now home to collections of vintage cars, memorabilia and fine art owned by the LeMay family, best known for holding the Guinness World Record for ‘Largest Privately Owned Car Collection.’ The LeMay Sculpture Garden adds a new layer of history to the site. The LeMay Sculpture Garden adds a new layer of history to the site, featuring well known sculptures by French artist Auguste Rodin cast from his original molds.

LeMay Sculpture Garden

Sprawling on 100 acres, this former military academy known as Marymount is now home to collections of vintage cars, memorabilia and fine art owned by the LeMay family. The Sculpture Garden adds a new layer of history to the site with well-known sculptures by French artist Auguste Rodin, include “The Thinker”, “Eve”, and “Age of Bronze.”

Client Name

LeMay Foundation

Location

Tacoma, WA

Services

Landscape Architecture

Program Overview

Half-mile sculpture walk
Archways reusing century-old pickle barrel wood
Collection of Rodin sculptures

Completion Date

2018

Contacts

Rachael Meyer
Landscape Architecture Principal

PHOTOGRAPHY: WEBER THOMPSON

A passion for collecting

What started as an exercise in siting the sculptures on the property led to combining salvaged materials with clearings in the existing forested landscape to create a series of outdoor rooms. The site’s natural beauty and the LeMay family’s eclectic collections were the inspiration for the sculpture garden’s design.

Inspired by Marymount

Architectural design elements from the site’s main brick building, the Marymount Event Center, provided inspiration for one of the prominent design features. Two large gateways that serve as pathway thresholds to the sculpture gardens, echo brick patterning found onsite in the wood on the trellises. Custom garden benches reinforce the design with curved metal bar details.