paola navone weaves the secret garden for barovier&toso

‘the secret garden’ installation by paola navone image © designboom

within the orto botanico (botonical garden) in milan’s brera district, italian glass manufacturer barovier&toso and italian marble company citco have come together to present ‘the secret garden’, in two separate installations, one by italian designer paola navone and the other british architect zaha hadid, each expressing the possibilities and production techniques of the exhibiting brands.

aerial view of ‘the secret garden’

woven from 11, 000 hazelnut branches, paola navone’s installation for ‘barovier&toso’ is a protective enclosed space for the multi-colored hand-blown murano glass chandeliers. as the blue nests hide and protect the delicate lighting objects, visitors can peak into the enclosed space through small openings. the environments are integrated into the garden, some resting on the floor, while others are raised above, inviting the visitors to peak underneath.

entering the garden image © designboom

guiding the visitors along the garden path, a small glass figure, designed by navone, holds up a lamp shade. the playful take on the domestic object is a testament to the wide range of structural and aesthetic possibilities of the material in a modern context.

see designboom’s coverage of zaha hadid’s pavilion for citco within ‘the secret garden’.

installation view

a metallic fabric reflects the light of the chandeliers image © designboom

view of the nest interior image © designboom

the blue woven branches form a nest image © designboom

each one is a different size and height image © designboom

view of the hand-blown pendant image © designboom

detail image © designboom

the enclosed light comes in a variety of different colors image © designboom

image © designboom

the suspended nest invites visitors to peek under the rim image © designboom

view from below image © designboom

blue mushroom stool image © designboom

along the trail, a blue stool in the form of a wine bottle cork waits for the guests to sit down and experience the strength associated with modern glass production.

the shape is derived from a cork top image © designboom