Il Giardino Delle Magnolie – Lugano, Switzerland

When we first inspected it, the stretch of land where the house would be built was still just an abandoned vineyard, and even with pickets marking the house’s volume, it was difficult to imagine there would be room enough to fit in a garden, too. The scenic view over the lake was highly inspiring, and happy collaboration with architects Corinna Cappa and Maria Venco allowed us to create a project which is as simple and refined as their architecture, designed to host an active and sophisticated family, extremely careful about the quality of all details. So, the project was first born by giving shape to all things essential: first we studied a series of floating planes to access every corner of the site, then we designed the infinity pool, which is placed next to the house to fully exploit its scenic impact, that makes it look like an extension of the lake view. Water also reflects the sky and the masses of flowers that surround the pool, in a very impressive interplay of plans. To connect the interior of the house to the garden as much as possible, we carefully designed highly characterised outdoor paving. Large, simple concrete blocks are used to make as much room as possible for the greenery and to highlight patterns and blooming, that become as powerful as the swimming pool. Large slabs lie on recessed plinths, so that they look as though plants gracefully support them, and they can float balancing on a compact mass of lush vegetation. The lake’s microclimate allowed us to choose a wide range of exciting plants, including the lovely camelias and azaleas from Paolo Zacchera’s Compagnia del Lago Italian nursery, and a unique selection of magnolia hybrids that we were thrilled to choose at the famous Swiss specialist Einsenhut. Other plants in this project include Daphne odora, Edgewortia crisantha, Lespedeza thumbergii, Heptacodium miconioides, and a choice of the most beautiful decorative Gramineae from Vivaio Valfredda. The architectural design is by architects Maria Venco and Corinna Cappa.