Stone Plant Sculpture Hana Nui: Kiʻi Kihāpai

Press Kit

Unique Properties

Two companies asked for a series of gardens, objects which show the possibilties combining their products. Jurrasic limestones and plants. So we created the idea for the most minimalistic garden, a european interpretation of Japanese Zen Gardens. Forming a cube with a pruned yew and a limestone. The joint between both is defined by an almost diagonal line through the cube.
Two materials - plant and stone - a simple shape.

Dimensions & Packaging

The stone plant sculpture forms a cube of 130 x130 x 130 cm. It consists of Lime stone and Yew hedge plants which are planted close to the stone to form the intended cube together. The stone is placed on a concrete foundation.

Tags

minimal garden, minimalistic garden, garden sculpture, cube garden, plant stone, land art, minimal art, jurrasic marble, limestone, yew

Production Technology

One part of the garden cube is produced from a piece of Jurrasic marble, also called limestone. It was produced in a South German Quarry of the Franken Schotter Company. It was cut out of a raw block. The standing side and the side facing the plants are diamond saw cut. The visible surfaces are chisselled and brushed, what gives it a aged look. The other half is planted from four Taxus baccata, yew, from Bruns Nursery which have been properly pruned to the final size after planting.

Design Challenge

It was a challenge not to choose a solution which looked too natural and showed expectable designs. So we have struggled to be maximum minimalistic, showing a clear, simple solution that immediately could be understood by the international guests of the nursery and the United World College. To do less than could be possible is the most challenging step. Our fear that strong frosts could cool down the stone so much that the plants will be harmed and killed by it did not come true even in the high mountains of Armenia

Research

The request of two companies to do a work with the products they produce needed a research on similar projects. We found that doing this in a expectable and already common way would not give a good impression. So we found that the solution should be reduced to message they want to tell their clients with this action: "Our products fit together very well". By keeping it simple the impression is stronger.

Inspiration

Since long time I searched for a European equivalent of Japanese Garden designs. Finally the minimalistic ideas of the Bauhaus period gave a hint what could be possible. The suggested project is one out of a series of projects which we have done in this way. Whilst Japanese Gardens often use the scale 1:3 to reflect a real landscape in a new and abstract way, this project does not reflect any landscape and does not use any scale. It is the maximum reduction of a garden ending up as a sculpture.

Project Duration

The project started in 2002 as a joint venture between the Franken Schotter Quarry and the Bruns nursery. After its realization in 2003 it stood in Bad Zwischenahn, North Germany, in front of the adminitrative office of Bruns Nursery. In 2015 the project was moved to The United World College in Dilijan Armenia, where it is installed now permanently at the Prince of Wales avenue.

Operation Flow

The garden cube needs low maintenance. The hedges should be properly pruned 3 times a year to show a perfect impression.
The stone needs a yearly cleaning with simple water by using a high pressure cleaner. The placement on a flat piece of lawn is essential to make it work visualy.

Patents

all copyrights belong to Udo Dagenbach, glasser and dagenbach, 2006

Image Credits

Image #1 Udo Dagenbach, garden cube, 2007
Image #2 Udo Dagenbach, garden cube, 2007
Image #3 Udo Dagenbach, garden cube, 2007
Image #4 Udo Dagenbach, garden cube, 2007
Image #5 Udo Dagenbach, garden cube, 2007