Switzerland is a garden. If we consider that the political borders are the real edge of a country, then Switzerland can accept the definition of an “Hortus Conclusus” the Latin term that defines the garden origin in occident. As any garden, it has limits, it is well defined yet porous and open to the elements, to life coming in and out of it, to climate, wind, sun, rain.
Most cultures have developed gardens as representational fragments of the world. If the most well known in occident are Japanese, French and English, there are numerous cultural variations of this historic typology.
Gardens are about gathering a certain group of plants to create compositions and experiences in a precise and living environment. But not only. As a precise representation of the world, they gather living and non-living features. Rocks and architectural follies, for example, are very well-known characters of different garden cultures. These follies exist to accompany the experience, enhance or articulate certain moments, sceneries and create small shelter that can trigger imaginary moments.
As a three-dimensional representation, gardens have a very strong relation to the art world with the particularity of an art that has to dialogue with living creatures, the world of plants. These porous enclosed spaces appeal the imaginary, as they are an extract of the world, yet they create a distance from it, to meditate, reflect, observe differently, as a small step aside.
It is following this understanding of gardens that the Flora Alpina garden emerges. Within the Centro Svizzero’s courtyard, an alpine garden is at the heart of the installation of the House of Switzerland. Symbolically, it addresses the alpine culture that links two countries, Switzerland and Italy, as many others. Through this thematic approach, it proposes an experience to be lived during the Winter Olympic and Paralympic games.
House of Switzerland is a garden. For a short moment, two weeks, it will be the center of a variable community that comes to celebrate the games or just to hung around and live this singular moment in the center of Milano before they find another place to stay. This other life is imbedded in the design process. The garden-house proposes a certain mood, rather gay, for a welcoming moment. Precis décor and patterns, colored modules that host diverse functions: stage, tribunes, bleachers, kiosks, market stalls. Other freely drawn patterns become lighting features, supported by the famous Milano street panettones that the town knows so well. They are part of a family of furniture: seating stools, tables, signage support.
The garden also develops inside, within the existing restaurant space, the Swiss Corner. The photographic artwork of Dylan Perrenoud embraces the visitor with a series of lightboxes showing mysterious rock pieces and composed flora universes coming from an ancient collection of slides of the 1980s. Facing the lightboxes, a collection of 140 potted physical flowers is displayed within the depth of the show windows. The existing character of the space helps to create a multiplicity of reflexions that are pushed further to the exterior façade where the relation to the street is redefined.
Flora Alpina is designed for seamless adaptability, drawing inspiration from the vital role of flowers in sports, medicine, and culture.
Plants are healing, plants and flowers are Olympic signatures, celebrative and discreet. They accompany medals and smiles of achievement. They help us rejoice, live and breathe.
CREDITS
Project: BUREAU (Daniel Zamarbide, Carine Pimenta, Galliane Zamarbide) | www.bureau.ac |
Concept design: Daniel Zamarbide, Carine Pimenta
Competition: Finia Sonderegger, Valentin Racine, Beatriz Duarte, Carla Stein
Project execution: Daniel Zamarbide | Carine Pimenta (project managers), Niklas Schuknecht, Beatriz Duarte, Maria do Mar Cavaleiro
Construction supervision: Daniel Zamarbide, Carine Pimenta, Galliane Zamarbide, Maria do Mar Cavaleiro
Publication drawings: Yannis Tsourlos, Beatriz Duarte
Context: Scenography and furniture design
Program: “House of Switzerland” for the Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games in Milano-Cortina 2026
