Spring / Summer 2022
Select moments
INVITATION TO RELAXATION WITH
Constance Guisset
SHARE SOME CREATIVITY TIME AT
Villa Medicis
IMMERSION IN THE GARDENS OF PIET OUDOLF
Hauser & Wirth
É D I TO
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E D I TO R I A L
Eclectic moments brought to you by
For the third issue of T, we invite you to celebrate 45 years of Tectona through six iconic creations that we adore! To our eyes, they evoke 45 years of a story anchored in outdoor living and how it has evolved since 1977. By opening our doors to designers, we leapt head-first into the contemporary period and the renewal of forms. Today, we meet Constance Guisset to talk about her Chelsea collection, the new version, modular pieces that draw inspiration from both architecture and organic forms. Our work with designers is also based on our mastery of proven and unique techniques that guarantee the durability of our furniture.
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Our mastery of cabinetmaking makes possible ingenious and elegant solutions such as the “butterfly” extension leaf allowing you to accommodate extra guests around your table in no time at all. Another of our success stories combining know-how and design is the legendary Roma parasol whose Dolce Vita credentials make it immune to the whims of trendiness. For this spring/summer 2022 issue, we also present some of the wonderful sites we visited. In Somerset county in England, we immersed ourselves in the gardens that Piet Oudolf imagined for the gallery Hauser & Wirth. We made an enchanting stop at Villa Medicis in Rome to meet its new director Sam Stourdzé. Our final escapade was… one hour from Paris! At Domaine de Primard in the company of Guillaume Foucher, co-creator with Frédéric Biousse of Domaines de Fontenille. We visited one of the most romantic houses and gardens we’ve ever laid our eyes upon ⎯ and we appreciated the Tectona touch!
LES JARDINS QUE NOUS AIMONS
Meeting at
Villa Medicis .04
LES JARDINS QUE NOUS AIMONS
T
he French Academy in Rome, established in 1666 under the aegis of Colbert and Bernin, occupied several sites before moving to Villa Medicis in 1803. From the outset, its vocation was to welcome artists, first painters and sculptors, joined by architects from 1720. At the time, a stay in Rome provided an unparalleled opportunity to be inspired by “models” from Antiquity that abound in the Eternal City. Villa Medicis was refurbished in the 16th century on Pincio hill by cardinals Giovanni Ricci then Ferdinand de Médicis. Today, the Renaissance architecture and the 7-hectare garden constitute an exceptional setting. The gardens, now entirely free of plant protection products, serve as an example for the protection and the improvement of biodiversity and offer a unique panorama of Rome.
Villa Medicis © Giorgio Benni.jpg
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G A R D E N S W E L OV E
Meeting with Sam Stourdzé, Director of Villa Medicis
Before being named Director of Villa Medicis in Rome in March 2020, Sam Stourdzé served as the Director of the Musée de l’Elysée (now Photo Elysée) in Lausanne from 2010 to 2014, then Director of Rencontres de la Photographie à Arles from 2014 to 2019. He is passionate about photography, contemporary art, music, literature and cinema too. Sam Stourdzé likes to make disciplines break out of their silos and establish dialogues with one another so that they are open to original proposals, anchored not only in research but also in problems of the modern world.
What is the relevance today, the 21st century, of an institution established in 1666? Villa Medicis has three missions: to host residents, to valorise its heritage and to be a centre of cultural excellence. This year we are hosting sixteen residents, who were selected from 600 applicants. The Villa covers twenty disciplines including, for the first time this year, a culinary art section. We have opened up part of our gardens to the general public so visitors can walk around freely and experience this magical place. We hold three exhibitions every year in coproduction with institutions such as Centre Pompidou and the ENSBA (National School of Fine Arts). In partnership with Mobilier National, Manufacture de Sèvres and the ENSBA, we are refurbishing the Villa in order to enhance the vitality of these creative domains and crafts, which showcase French excellence. A vast programme that firmly anchors Villa Medicis in the contemporary world!
You yourself were a resident at Villa Medicis in 2007-2008. How was this experience? I often say that the Villa allowed me to imagine my own “project drawer” containing projects for the next ten years. At the time, I was in the cinema section preparing a solo exhibition on Fellini, which was held at Jeu de Paume in October 2009. How do residents approach life at Villa Medicis? The experience remains a highly personal one. For the artist or researcher, of any discipline, it is a year unencumbered by material contingencies or requests of any nature, a year you are given free rein to create. It is not rare for residents to experience moments of doubt, to fumble around and to challenge their own practices. It is free, disinterested time that represents a form of luxury found nowhere else.
Sam Stourdze © Daniele Molajoli
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LES JARDINS QUE NOUS AIMONS
Cicala armchair and table by Julie Richoz
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CLASSIQUE CONTEMPORAIN
To celebrate
45 years of Tectona six iconic creations!
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C L A S S I C C O N T E M P O R A RY
Circle Bench
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Although circular benches were a popular sight in large French parks in the 18th century, they are above all inextricably linked with British landscapes. Circle Bench illustrates the highly demanding nature of cabinetmaking, an art practised by Tectona since its creation in 1977. The crosspieces and the slats of the seat are carved from the block, a process that guarantees maximum stability and sturdiness.
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Madeleine Castaing bench The inspiration for the 1800 collection was the wrought iron bench owned by Madeleine Castaing. This bench, in aluminium, was launched in 2006. Tectona specially developed the blue-grey colour, which gives a modern feel to the neoclassic forms.
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C L A S S I C CO N T E M P O R A RY
Tennis
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by Pierre Charpin
In 2007, the umpire’s chair and the players’ bench signalled the first collaboration with Pierre Charpin. Their structure, in tubes of powdercoated aluminium, occupies space in an ethereal, elegant and contemporary manner. Here, green emphasizes the furniture’s forms in harmony with the surrounding landscape.
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by Erwan and Ronan Bouroullec The first exchanges between Tectona and the Bouroullec brothers date back to 2003. Pebble launched five years later; this avant-garde collection takes the form of upside-down baskets and was a free interpretation of Circle Bench, the famous teak bench present in the catalogue since 1977.
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C L A S S I C C O N T E M P O R A RY
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Delta
by Inga Sempé
Tectona launched in 2009 the outdoor shower designed by Inga Sempé. Starting from a teak duckboard, designer Inga Sempé designed a stainless steel structure pushing simplification to the extreme so that the shower would fully blend into its environment. The clean and evident design is imposing yet discreet.
Grande ÉcurieVersailles bench
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In 2020, Tectona and Château de Versailles launched the Grande Écurie-Versailles bench. This model was inspired by two oak benches in the Château’s heritage collections. It has a simple structure characterised by the form of its legs, influenced by Maison Jacob-Desmalter, principal supplier to palaces since the mid-18th century.
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LES JARDINS QUE NOUS AIMONS
Perennial Eden
Courtesy Hauser & Wirth © Jason Ingram
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LES JARDINS QUE NOUS AIMONS
Our wanderings in the gardens that Piet Oudolf imagined for Hauser & Wirth Somerset gallery.
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G A R D E N S W E L OV E
Hauser & Wirth Somerset Created by the renowned Dutch landscape architect Piet Oudolf for Hauser & Wirth gallery, the garden in Somerset, England, is an arty-idyllic location and a botanical manifesto firmly rooted in nature.
There are extraordinary gardens. Prize-winning gardens. Jardins de curé. And then there’s Oudolf Field, a garden that is by definition eternal. This green eden was planted in a nature-conscious manner in Bruton, Somerset county, England, where the famous contemporary art gallery Hauser & Wirth established a multipurpose site hosting art and artistic residencies. Hauser & Wirth was founded in Zurich in 1992 and today has a global presence: Hong Kong, Los Angeles, New York, St Moritz…. It is well known for its diverse projects intrinsically related to its artistic activity. Such is the case for Oudolf Field but also the gardens in Menorca (see box) imagined by the renowned Dutch landscape architect and nursery owner Piet Oudolf, who is the pioneer and champion of the New Perennial Movement. He currently lives in a small Dutch village and since 1982 has been nurturing a gardening manifesto in full liberty and without compromises. Nature, absolute, in its full expression in line with a thought-out and inspired botanical order. Before the inauguration of Oudolf Field in 2014, Piet Oudolf had designed several other highly acclaimed and award-winning projects notably Lurie Garden in Chicago, The High Line in New York jointly with landscape architect James Corner and Hortus Conclusus of the Serpentine Gallery in London with architect Peter Zumthor. Oudolf Field was the end result of the transformation of a vast meadow (1.5 acres) into a garden traversed by paths and planted with shrubs, trees and more than 25,000 herbaceous perennial species, notably to the exclusion of invasive plants liable to disturb the equilibrium calibrated to the nearest blade of grass.
Looking at the expertly composed plant patchwork that is Oudolf Field is conducive to immersion that is both serene and stimulating. Hauser & Wirth Somerset has become a destination in itself, a place for reflection on the gardening arts, bolstered by debates and conferences and the publication of several articles and books such as Planting the Oudolf Gardens at Hauser & Wirth Somerset. Piet Oudolf created three sites around the Hauser & Wirth Somerset arts centre: a farmyard like pastureland bordering Dursdale Farmhouse, a 6-bedroom guesthouse located opposite Roth Bar & Grill; Cloister Garden, an enclave for contemplation and m e d i ta t i o n ; a n d Oudolf Field, whose dimensions can be appreciated from inside the gallery. The indoor/outdoor interpenetration is essential for establishing a dialogue between art and nature, between the exhibited works, an idyllic lifestyle and the seasonal transformations. The repertoire of plants, from robust perennials to wild flowers, selected by Oudolf seems to be drawn from a book of spells containing weird and wonderful ingredients: Cimicifuga ‘Brunette’, Darmera Peltata, Lobelia Tupa, Monarda Bradburiana… just some examples. Visitors are also free to explore the sculpture route and to experience their own emotions and visions of nature nourished by art and vice versa.
Courtesy Hauser & Wirth © Jason Ingram
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LES JARDINS QUE NOUS AIMONS
Courtesy Hauser & Wirth © Josep Gayón
Hauser & Wirth Menorca A GARDEN ON THE SEA
O
udolf Field was the first project that Hauser & Wirth entrusted to Piet Oudolf; the second, Illa del Rei in Menorca, was inaugurated in June 2021. The art centre occupies the historic site of an 18th century hospital of the British Navy that had fallen into disuse and disrepair. The three buildings were restored and refurbished by the Parisbased Argentinian architect Luis Laplace. Around them is a wild garden that exemplifies the Mediterranean climate with a profusion of indigenous species: thyme, olive trees, Agapanthus, Mexican feathergrass, succulents, thistles, Perez’s sea lavender… The intensely mineral nature of this site led Piet Oudolf to work with the Spanish landscape architect Álvaro de la Rosa. Together they traced the paths and decided where to locate the sculptures by Miro, Louise Bourgeois, Franz West, Eduardo Chilida… Like their Somerset site, Hauser & Wirth Menorca is a hive of artistic activity ⎯though seasonal here⎯ and hosts a restaurant, Cantina, decorated by Luis Laplace.
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L E T ’ S TA L K D E S I G N
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L E T ’ S TA L K D E S I G N
Constance Guisset with the Chelsea collection
C
onstance Guisset puts her keen eye to work in colourful, poetic and functional projects. Case in point: the sleek Chelsea modular sofa she just designed for Tectona. It is actually an updated version of a model she designed a few years ago; this one is closer to the ground hence more conducive to relaxation. Its refined and comfortable lines reflect the brand’s classic and contemporary values. Furthermore, the modular nature means you can freely move and configure the components as you please, whether on a patio or lawn.
Chelsea low table © Constance Guisset Studio
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L E T ’ S TA L K D E S I G N
Meeting with Constance Guisset Constance Guisset talks about this project, which reflects her own values and those of Tectona...
You designed the first version of this sofa; how did you change it? A few years ago, I designed the first version of the Chelsea sofa after being invited to do so by Tectona. It was the first time I’d been contacted about outdoor furniture and the idea instantly appealed to me. Chelsea would go on to feature in the solo exhibition dedicated to me by the Museum of Decorative Arts in Paris five years ago. Next we decided to improve its qualities by reworking the cushions, lowering the seating position and spacing out the lines. We made it more ethereal, more legible, more visual and more stylish via the pop blue colour. I firmly believe in the idea of dressing objects, like dressing a mannequin. Actually, for the new version, we simply revealed the sofa’s core nature. How is this sofa specifically designed for the outdoors? First it’s the dimensions of Chelsea that truly make it a piece of furniture for the outdoors, notably the height of the seat. Our posture is different when we are outdoors versus indoors; we feel less restrained and the lower seat is more conducive to relaxation.
A defining feature of your projects is the fusion of the timeless and the contemporary. How does this model represent this design vision? After Tectona approached me to design an outdoor sofa, I evaluated their DNA and I realised that this company was above all driven by values of timelessness, midway between contemporary designs and designs imbued with classicism.
© Felipe Ribon
Chelsea is also modular. Does this make it particularly suitable for the outdoors? The most important requirement for a garden sofa is that it is easy to move, and it’s easy to add and remove elements in order to conjure up different living spaces ⎯ that’s why it’s completely modular. It should also be easy to store away which is why I kept the weight low by choosing aluminium. The modular nature is based on two elements, a corner and a centre module, allowing for a variety of configurations/uses, for example combine two elements when you want to lie down for a siesta or separate the individual elements when you invite some friends for drinks.
That’s why I paid close attention to the details of Chelsea, notably the angle of the backrest and the strip retaining the slats -⎯ two simple, refined details. Chelsea is inspired by architecture and organic forms via its rounded lines, and the balanced design is both very gentle and structured. Chelsea is a good reflection of my work, in which there is always classicism in some form and also a detail providing a surprising and contemporary spin; a good example is the Vertigo pendant lamp, no doubt my most well-known object. I am very wary of fashion trends… they go out of fashion very quickly. I much prefer the durability of a timeless design.
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PA R L O N S D E S I G N
Chelsea modular sofa Chelsea low table
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OUR KNOW-HOW
Ingenious and practical
Butterfly le T
he butterfly leaf system in the Arlington and Sterling tables makes it easy to pass from 8 to 12 guests. The system, tested to perfection in Tectona workshops, incorporates a leaf divided into two along the middle; the leaf evokes a butterfly’s wings when deployed. The crease runs parallel to the long axis of the table; when you don’t need extra space, the system allows you to fold then displace the leaf so it comes to rest inside the table itself, fully hidden from view under the tabletop. At the crux of the ingenious system is the position of the leaf’s rotational axis, which allows it to slide into its secret “home” when not needed. The ease of use of the butterfly leaf is inversely proportional to the level of cabinetmaking proficiency called upon, particularly the carefully crafted mortise and tenon joints that allow the various elements of the leaf and the tabletop to fit together perfectly. The solidity of the table leg assembly is reinforced through use of specially designed stabilising dowels that resist the strains generated when the leaf system is deployed.
Arlington extendable table 200 - 300 cm x 110 cm 8 - 12 persons
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S AV O I R - FA I R E
eaves
Detail of the butterfly leaves
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NOS BELLES ADRESSES
Southampton sun lounger © Benoit Linero
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O U R P L AC E S O F E N C H A N T M E N T
Oh the good
life!
DOMAINE DE PRIMARD, EURE-ET-LOIRE “To live happy, let’s live hidden away” wrote the playwright Jean-Pierre Claris de Florian (1755-1794) at the end of the 18th century. It was during this period that his contemporary, General de Dampierre (1756-1793), built Château de Primard, whose style heralded that of the Directory. Beauty emanates not only from the architecture of this splendidly isolated bucolic residence but also the river Eure that runs alongside and the tranquility of the surrounding Normandy landscape.
GENTLE AWAKENING
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n 2018, Domaine de Primard was acquired by Frédéric Biousse and Guillaume Foucher, the creators of the young hotel collection Domaines de Fontenille, of which Primard is the seventh establishment. After two and a half years of works, the sleeping beauty finally woke up, completely rejuvenated. Over this time, the chain of lounges, the small boudoir and the large kitchen opening to the patio were completely refurbished and the site renamed La Maison sur l’Eure. The 39 bedrooms and suites of the hotel were distributed among the four buildings of the park, namely Maison sur Eure, Maison du Lac, Barn and Maison du Verger, all of which open to or look onto the various gardens.
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SECRET GARDENS
F
or thirty-five years, the Domaine belonged to the actress Catherine Deneuve. Her passion for gardens led her to entrust the reorganisation of the park to the renowned landscape gardener and Anvers native, Jacques Wirtz (1924-2018), who had previously renovated, among others, the Carrousel gardens between the Louvre and Tuileries in Paris. The artist’s distinctive style can still be seen today in the undulating fluffy forms of the boxwood topiaries in dialogue with the surrounding hills. Over the years, several rare tree species have been planted, providing exceptional displays of leafing and flowering from the end of winter to the end of autumn. Also noteworthy are the rose plants: the more than 250 varieties constitute a remarkable collection in themselves. Last but not least are the perennials that season after season provide a sequence of flowerings, often releasing mild scents, making for a delightful sensorial experience for passers-by.
DIRECT TO THE KITCHEN FROM THE VEGETABLE GARDEN AND ORCHARD
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n 2019, the young owners decided to create a new, completely organic vegetable garden: Le Potager Primard. Cultivation is based on permaculture principles with protection from winds provided by arbours. Much of the produce used by the Domaine originates from the vegetable garden and the on-site orchard. Guests at the hotel can choose from three restaurants, each offering a different experience but all serving seasonal dishes: Églantine offers a fine dining experience; Octave serves bistrot fare; Table d’Hôtes welcomes two to twelve diners around a single large table for a cosy family ambience.
LUXURY, TRANQUILITY AND DELIGHT
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taying at Domaine de Primard is also about immersing yourself in nature, wandering aimlessly along the paths that snake among the majestic trees, sitting down on one of the many small teak pontoons dotted along the riverbanks, cut off from the daily hubbub of society to enjoy the surroundings or to read without distraction. The fitting-out of the bedrooms, lounges and restaurants showcases the best of French craftsmanship: fabrics by Pierre Frey, pottery by Faïenceries de Gien and Faïencerie de Charolles, Maison Sarah Lavoine and Sylvie Coquet, tableware by Elisabeth Monroy and Isabelle Poupinel contribute to the understated elegance of the venue. Tectona was delighted to have been selected to provide the outdoor furniture next to the pool, on the banks of the Eure and on the patios; specifically, the Directory-inspired 1800 collection in black, the iconic Roma parasol, the classic Exbury bench, the comfortable Copacabana folding bed and, on the teak pontoons, the Southampton sun lounger.
1800 collection in black Roma parasol
O U R P L AC E S O F E N C H A N T M E N T
A meeting with Guillaume Foucher, Co-creator with Frédéric Biousse of Domaines de Fontenille
Between spring 2016 and spring 2022, Guillaume Foucher and Frédéric Biousse created seven “houses” that they brought together under a single collection: Domaines de Fontenille. A characteristic shared by all the houses is their integration into their natural environment and their cultural significance. The talent of Guillaume Foucher and Frédéric Biousse has been to elevate hosting to an art form such that their guests feel as comfortable and relaxed as they do at home.
You use the term “Collection” when referring to the set of hotels making up Domaines de Fontenille. Is this for any particular reason? Both Frédéric and I come from worlds far removed from the hotel sector. I had created a contemporary art gallery and Frédéric was working in fashion. Hence we were both very familiar with the term “collection”. It was love at first sight for every one of our houses, like feeling moved when seeing an original work of art. Although very different from one another, the houses have in common a very strong individual character, which we have preserved, and together they form a coherent collection. What particular role does Domaine de Primard occupy within the Collection? It’s the most romantic house in the world! The house and its gardens are so beautiful… they take your breath away. The first reaction, as per usual, was to keep it for ourselves but let’s face it, it’s way too big for only two people. It’s a human-sized house hidden among the meanders of the Eure. This house alone summarises everything we seek.
Its Directory architecture is of absolute purity, noble but not ostentatious. The gardens, created by Jacques Wirtz and Catherine Deneuve, attest to a rare degree of subtlety and poetry, the fruits of the landscape gardener’s rigour and the former owner’s elegance. Primard is also a “water house”, situated as it is on the banks of the Eure, in the heart of a 40-hectare park, with a pond, a lake and streams that snake through the gardens and around the house. For the refurbishment, we decided to bring nature indoors, so we installed a roof made from suspended dry flowers in the entrance and also works of arts featuring a floral vocabulary in dialogue with the gardens. What are your guests looking for in particular when they stay at Domaine de Primard? The proximity to Giverny and to the magnificent Château d’Anet, pearl of the French Renaissance, attract visitors from all over France and the world. Many of our guests are Parisians who want to stay in the countryside but not to the extent of wanting to own a property there.
They make the most of their stay at Primard to immerse themselves in nature, to take their children on boat rides on the Eure, to go for bike rides in the park and surrounding areas, to see the wildlife, all the while feeling like they’re at their second home. And let’s not overlook the gastronomic pleasures on offer at our three restaurants! Finally there’s the poetry that emanates from the river, when you’re lying on a daybed, simply observing the swans and ducks gliding over the water or the sun advancing across the sky. Why did you select the Tectona brand for the Primard gardens? To our eyes and in terms of design, Tectona represents the art of outdoor living, for the elegance of its furniture and also its contemporary spirit. So we chose the rather classic 1800 collection for one of our restaurants and we also chose the contemporary lines of the Copacabana collection that is also easy to use and extremely inviting. Moreover, we thought it was fitting for a decidedly French house to feature an exclusively French brand, as is the case for Tectona!
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NOS BELLES ADRESSES
Frederic Biousse and Guillaume Foucher @Yann Deret
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Roma ad vitam æternam !
Roma, Tectona’s iconic parasol, adopts the design of the traditional parasols used by market gardeners to protect their produce from the sunshine and to cast refreshing shade over them.
ICONIC ! Roma withstands rain and wind, is attractive and is easy to use thanks to the ingenious systems that make opening and closing effortless. The various woods used in its construction, from the mast to the ribs, were selected for their resistance. Here, traditional manual techniques meet the perfection demanded by the brand: handsewn canopies in waterproofed ecru cotton canvas or coloured Sunbrella. The Douglas pine wood, used in the ribs and the mast, is crafted as it has been for four generations by the Italian workshop that fabricates the parasols for Tectona.
SUBLIMATE THE USE The unique silhouette of Roma is easily discernible from the others! Whichever of the twelve sizes and eleven colours you choose, the sturdy cast-steel base and the vent atop the canopy are constants. The parasol is firmly attached to the ground by the hardness of the wood and also the wooden struts, which have been handcrafted and perfectly inserted into the mast — there is zero risk of your parasol taking to the air.
REPLACE THE CANVAS POY OF YOUR ROMA PARASOL If, after several years, the waterproofed cotton canvas or the Sunbrella fabric starts to look a bit worn, the Tectona workshop can replace the canopy of your parasol to give it a new lease of life.
CLASSIQUE CONTEMPORAIN
Cicala armchair and table Roma parasol Cantina terracotta vase
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Where to find us ! France
Internet
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Phone +33 1 47 03 05 05
Mail 36, rue du Bac - 75007 Paris
Paris 36, rue du Bac 75007 Paris Tel + 33 1 47 03 38 05 paris@tectona.fr
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www.tectona.fr info@tectona.fr
Stores
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Store
Spain
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Store
www.tectona.ch suisse@tectona.ch
Italy
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Internet
www.tectona.es madrid@tectona.es
Internet
www.tectona.it milano@tectona.it
Phone +41 22 700 10 10
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Store Milan Via della Moscova, 47/A 20121 Milan Tel + 39 02 65 34 23 milano@tectona.it
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