Tree Museum Rapperswil-Jona.
Nature as habitat The Tree Museum designed by Enzo Enea, founder and CEO of Enea landscape architecture, promotes a vital exchange between nature and humanity.
the design process: “In the end, we create habitats.”
TEXT: CORNELIA BRELOWSKI I PHOTOS: ENEA
The work on the Tree museum has prompted an equally challenging project for Enea this year: ‘For Forest’, an Austrian project by Littman Kulturprojekte, for which Enea will feature the recreation of a mixed forest at the Klagenfurt soccer stadium – as a statement against the threats of climate change and the alienation of humans from nature.
Being the only one of its kind worldwide, the Enea Tree museum demonstrates how landscape, architecture, art and design can be combined integrally, without becoming merely decorative. With a total number of 50 trees, some of which are more than 100 years old, the majority of the 25 species stem from the region and were saved from cutting. Sculptures by international artists complete the unique environment and the open air museum, blending harmoniously with the surrounding Alpine foothills, has a positive impact on the microclimate. “It gives me joy to see visitors from all over the world as well as long-term employees and families from the region roam the park to contemplate nature and their own part in it," explains Enzo Enea. The landscape architect recalls that he was nudged towards his future profession early in life. As a child, he had already 104 | Issue 74 | May 2019
learned to cherish the natural habitat by working in the family garden in Italy, which granted him a carefree, childlike attitude towards nature – and this helped form his idea of happiness. An experience Enzo now passes on to his clients with creating natural habitats. Together with a team of professional specialists Enea designs, plans, and builds gardens, parks, hotel facilities and terraces worldwide, supported by his offices in New York and Miami. Clients appreciate the respect for nature that the award-winning office shows with every project. The team believes in an integrative design approach to which every location is unique and will be regarded as such. Furthermore, the lifestyle of the clients and how they want to experience their garden, be it by playing and celebrating with their children and grandchildren or reading a book in a peaceful atmosphere, also has a strong impact on
www.enea.ch Enea Tree Museum Buechstrasse 12 8645 Rapperswil-Jona Switzerland +41 (0)55 225 55 55 March through October: Mon – Fri 9:00 - 18:00 | Sat 10:00 – 17:00 November through February: Mon – Fri 9:00 – 17:30 | Sat 10:00 – 16:00 Closed on Sundays/public holidays as well as 24 December – 31 January Entrance fee Tree Museum: adults: CHF 15.00 groups (from 10 people) and students: CHF 12.00 guided tours on request