Jardin Majorelle and the garden painted cobalt blue
Published on 09/23/2026 at 00:07 | Editorial responsibility: Rafael MĂĽller, Editor-in-Chief AD HOC NEWS
Jardin Majorelle is a botanical garden in Marrakesch where dense planting meets buildings painted in an intense ultramarine blue. French painter Jacques Majorelle began developing the garden in 1922, and its blue walls, pools and studio remain its defining visual language.
Jardin Majorelle: a garden built around colour
The garden occupies a walled site filled with palms, bamboo, bougainvillea, yuccas, cacti, water lilies and other plants gathered from different regions. Paths pass between planted areas, pools and painted structures, creating a sequence of enclosed garden rooms.
Jacques Majorelle moved to Marrakesch in 1919 and purchased a palm grove in 1923. His interest in botany shaped the property into a collection of contrasting vegetation, with tall palms, broad-leaved plants, climbing flowers and succulents sharing the grounds.
Jacques Majorelle’s studio in Marrakesch
In 1931, Majorelle commissioned architect Paul Sinoir to create an Art Deco-style workshop on the property. The building combined a residence above with a large artist’s studio below, and its strong lines sit beside the softer forms of the planting.
Majorelle created the garden’s intense blue in 1937. The colour appears across walls, gates, plant containers and architectural details, forming a direct visual link between the studio and the surrounding vegetation. Majorelle blue dates from 1937.
From painter’s garden to cultural site
Jardin Majorelle opened to the public in 1947. After Jacques Majorelle died in 1962, the garden entered a period of neglect before Yves Saint Laurent and Pierre Bergé acquired it in 1980.
Saint Laurent and Bergé restored the planting and buildings, and they used the villa as a residence under the name Villa Oasis. After Saint Laurent’s death in 2008, Bergé donated the garden to the Fondation Pierre Bergé–Yves Saint Laurent. The garden’s public history connects painting, horticulture, architecture and fashion.
The property also includes the Pierre Bergé Museum of Berber Arts, whose displays add objects and visual culture from Morocco to the garden’s botanical and architectural setting. The garden itself remains the central experience: blue walls, water, foliage and shaded paths occupy the same carefully composed space.
Visiting Jardin Majorelle: what travellers from Western Europe should know
- Jardin Majorelle lies in Marrakesch, near the Ville Nouvelle and the district of Guéliz. Rue Yves Saint Laurent is the address associated with the garden.
- The grounds contain changing levels, narrow paths, planted borders and water features. Comfortable footwear suits the combination of paving, steps and garden surfaces.
- The official languages are Arabic and French. Morocco’s currency is the Moroccan dirham.
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Frequently asked questions about Jardin Majorelle
Where is Jardin Majorelle?
Jardin Majorelle is in Marrakesch, Morocco, near the Ville Nouvelle and Guéliz. Its address is Rue Yves Saint Laurent.
What can visitors see there?
The garden contains palms, bamboo, cacti, flowering plants, pools, blue-painted walls and Jacques Majorelle’s former studio. The Pierre Bergé Museum of Berber Arts is also part of the cultural site.
What makes Jardin Majorelle distinctive?
The garden combines botanical variety with a vivid blue colour created by Jacques Majorelle in 1937. Art Deco architecture, water and dense planting share the same walled setting.
