MAGNIFICENT MAJORELLE

“For many years, I have found in Majorelle Garden an inexhaustible source of inspiration and I have often dreamed of its unique colours.” Yves Saint Laurent

Jardin Majorelle is an enchanting and mystical botanical garden in Marrakech, Morocco.

Photograph Viault.

In 1923 the French artist Jacques Majorelle purchased a four-acre plot on the border of a palm grove in Marrakech and constructed the home known as Villa Oasis in the Moroccan style. Over time he purchased additional land, extending his property to 10 acres, and began planting a luxuriant garden which would become known as Jardin Majorelle. He would develop the garden for almost forty years.

Photograph Viault.

Jardin Majorelle is an enchanting and mystical botanical garden in Marrakech, Morocco. Created in the space of forty years, starting in 1922, the whole garden consists of a labyrinth of intersecting alleys, intertwining levels and Moorish buildings in Art Deco style in bold colors. The garden is an opulent collection of exotic plants and trees, designed as a sanctuary by the French painter Jacques Majorelle. In 1980, Yves Saint Laurent and Pierre Bergé bought the garden to save it from a hotel complex project. They worked to restore it and lived in Majorelle’s former villa –Villa Oasis. The garden and villa complex are open to the public, and the villa houses the Berber Museum and has recently opened the Yves Saint Laurent Museum.

During his lifetime, Majorelle (1886-1962) was a celebrated Orientalist painter. The special shade of bold cobalt blue, inspired by the coloured tiles he had seen around Marrakech, was used extensively in the garden and its buildings and is named after him, bleu Majorelle. The garden features a Cubist villa designed by the French architect, Paul Sinoir which Majorelle commissioned as an atelier in the 1930s.

Photograph Hazy Momo.

The garden proved costly to run and by 1947, Majorelle opened it to the public with an admission fee to defray maintenance costs. Following his divorce in the 50s he was forced to sell the house and land, and the garden – although it remained open – was neglected and fell into disrepair.

Photograph JR Harris.

In 1966 the garden was discovered by Yves Saint-Laurent and long-time business partner (and onetime life partner) Pierre Bergé, during their first stay in Marrakech.

Photograph Raissa Lara Lütolf (-Fasel).

In 1966 the garden was discovered by Yves Saint-Laurent and long-time business partner (and onetime life partner) Pierre Bergé, during their first stay in Marrakech. They were enchanted by the oasis of plants and colour combinations. They eventually bought Jardin Majorelle in 1980 and set about restoring and saving the villa and gardens, leaving the main gardens open to the public, while the villa retained its private spaces and gardens. The original atelier was also transformed into a Berber museum. The pair owned the villa until 2008, and after Yves Saint Laurent died in 2008 his ashes were scattered in Majorelle Garden.

Photograph Alba Iglesias.

In 2017, the Musee Yves Saint Laurent was opened to the public. The garden today hosts more than 15 bird species endemic to North Africa, and still has many fountains, trees, shrubs, flowers and large collection of cacti, and has remained very much a magical and inspiring oasis in Marrakech.