Aussie journey of endeavour to Chelsea
23rd May '11
[images courtesy of Ian Barker & Associates]
Chelsea Lighting Design is taking a particularly keen interest in one of the show gardens at the Chelsea Flower Show 2011.
Australian Landscape Designer Ian Barker and his team approached us a short time ago to assist them in finding a suitable light fitting as a focal point for their canopy pavilion in the Trailfinders Australian Garden presented by Flemings Nurseries.
The challenge was to come up with an interesting visual statement that was not too overpowering and yet made a connection with the botanical creativity in which it was to play a part and a link also to nautical references.
----' The theme of this garden is the journey of the HMB Endeavour and the botanical discoveries that were made on this voyage in the southern hemisphere between 1768 - 1771.
The voyage, primarily based on scientific discovery, included a team headed by Botanist Sir Joseph Banks whose purpose was to collect and document flora and fauna from the various lands visited and discovered on the voyage. The east coast of Australia was mapped for the first time on this voyage and Banks' notable collection of flora and fauna became the largest offshore English collection of its day.
This garden is a celebration of Banks' voyage and is intended to engage the visitor in their own journey of discovery.
Plant life will take its lead from the various collections founded along the way and fashioned into the old world English style, harmoniously bringing together the English-Australian story.
It is our hope that the garden should maintain nautical references, particularly to Australia.
The design incorporates a main canopy structure that is designed as a symbolic representation of the canvas sails of tall sailing ships, as well as the canvas tents that played a vital role in the early days of Australia living---'.
The solution for the lighting focal point within the canopy pavilion was an uncompromisingly modern piece - ANDROMEDA - by the celebrated, award winning British designer Ross Lovegrove. Andromeda has an organic skeletal form reminiscent of a piece of bone or a remnant of sea shell worn down by the sea to its smooth bare structural outline. LED lights within are reflected by internal mirrors and re-directed through the open structure to create soft dappled shadows and highlights onto the surrounding canopy.
This creates an expansion of the installation floating at its centre and the effect subtly suggests associations with organic root-like forms and light reflected off water.
It has been a pleasure and a privilege to be involved in the Aussie team project and it has given us a great insight into the huge amount of planning, attention to detail and sheer hard labour that goes into this event every year on our doorstep - and the reason behind the massive boost to shares in UK breweries during the past few weeks.
Our best wishes to everyone concerned with this very special and world-leading annual event and our hopes of becoming a very small part of this journey towards achieving a winning garden.
You can follow the daily progress at Chelsea By following Ian's blog at :
www.landscape.net.au/chelseablog/
or Flemings Nurseries website at :
www.flemings.com.au/chelsea2011
'ANDROMEDA' by Ross Lovegrove is made by Yamagiwa Lighting, Japan.
Yamagiwa Lighting is a pioneer of lighting design in Japan. The design and manufacturing of the Yamagiwa light collection dates back to 1954. Yamagiwa began to develop a number of original lamps for their own brand. To sharpen their own superb in-house research and design team, they collaborated with internationally famous designers including, Ross Lovegrove, Naota Fukasawa, Toyo Ito, Conran Studio, Shiro Kuramata, Shigeru Uchida and Tokujin Yoshioka.
The designs are infused with a deep respect for the Japanese tradition of combining technically advanced new-thinking with aesthetic, almost poetic design.
Please use our 'Links' or 'Search' facility on our website or contact us for more details.
