NAGASAKI, JAPAN
MANDALA
2016
Awarded Silver Gilt and The People’s Choice Award at the 2016 Gardening World Cup in Nagasaki, Japan
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We were honoured to be invited back to the Gardening World Cup, and with the previous year under our belt, we were ready to roll! Or so we thought...
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This design reflected on mandala – a spiritual symbol of unity and harmony. Drawing inspiration from this, we explored the notion of creating a garden radiating out from its central focus, but with the intent of drawing people in. The Chinese inspired circular moon gate provided a portal to the pathway for family and friends to return home and reconnect.
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‘Mandala’ exhibited strong formal design elements, embracing the principles of symmetry and balance. The design emanates out from a fire ball sculpture, to communal seating and mirrored water features. The floral undulations soften the architectural hardscapes and embellish the functional design. The palette, anchored by abundant foliage and texture, contrasts punctuation's of colourful flowers.
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It seems previous experience and months of planning are no match for mother nature! Grateful for a productive start to the build, a typhoon rolled in and engulfed us in torrential rains and wind. Our incredible local construction team created an origami of tarps to allow us to pull our design together. Fortunately the sun shone for judging day and our teams determination was richly rewarded with a Silver Gilt and The People's Choice Award!
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