eden installation combines man-made wonders and the beauty of nature

designed by malaysian artist pamela tan, ‘eden’ invites you to re-discover how nature can be experienced by magnifying subtle details through its organic structures, transporting you to another world, unlike anything you have encountered. an all-white landscape awaits as your senses are treated to the calm and serene environment, akin to being in the grounds of a mythical temple.

all photos by david yeow

a pathway covered with crystal-white pebbles leads you through an arched passageway inspired by victorian-era steel conservatory structures. its light, skeletal structure is a nod to the architectural and engineering marvel of the ‘crystal palace’, a massive cast-iron structure built to house the great exhibition of 1851 in london. in ‘eden, the whole is greater than the sum of its parts, as elements melt and merge together becoming a single growing structure.

here, the garden passageway gives form to hanging ‘vines’ hovering above the arches, imitating stalagmites in a cave where vertical and horizontal vines converge to form seating areas as if they were organically grown from ancient tree roots. upon closer observation, glass spheres can be seen delicately perched on the cusp of the hanging vines; echoing water droplets balancing on the edge of leaves after the rain has subsided.

a cathedral-like space is achieved with the varying heights of the vines casting an intricate play of shadow upon its surroundings. jules verne’s drawings for the ‘journey to the centre of the earth’ provided the inspiration for eden’s cavernous-like quality. enhancing the overall spatial experience of the journey, eden aims to bring you to re-discover the joys of looking closer, to cause you to momentarily suspend your beliefs and become a child once again. to believe, if only for a moment, that you are actually in paradise.

project info:

designer: pamela tan

date of completion: november 2018 (permanent)

location: 163 retail park, mont kiara, 50480 kuala lumpur, federal territory of kuala lumpur, malaysia.

area: 156.54 sqm

client: 163 retail park

photography: david yeow

designboom has received this project from our ‘DIY submissions‘ feature, where we welcome our readers to submit their own work for publication. see more project submissions from our readers here.

edited by: maria erman | designboom