AMBASSADOR OF SAVOIR-FAIRE Tectona in Osaka
IN THE COLOURS OF LAND
Fabulous terracotta Villa Medici in Rome
MULLER VAN SEVEREN TURN TO GARDENS
INSPIRED BY A PLACE’S
ESSENCE
A palace in Portugal
Our travels
“Our travels”, the latest issue of T Magazine, is dedicated to destinations blending culture with design, creativity with tradition.
Our first destination is Rome, where the lemon tree garden of Villa Medici, rehabilitated by landscape architect Bas Smets, forms the backdrop to our new collection Cosimo de’ Medici by design duo Muller Van Severen. The collection consists of a table, chair and sun lounger in aluminium and stainless steel, and is available in three colours in dialogue with the landscape: sky blue, botanical green and stone white.
We stay in Italy for our second stop, in Tuscany, to meet the master artisans of terracotta. We’ve been offering their creations for 10 years now and this year’s collection is more complete than ever, spanning 50 pots and jars! Available in classic or contemporary styles and in several sizes, these recipients are suitable for a wide range of plant life, from small plants to bushes. Warm tones and sensual grain make terracotta a uniquely beautiful material.
Our final destination in Italy is the Church of the Most Holy Redeemer by Andrea Palladio on the island of Giudecca, Venice. After an extraordinary restoration programme, the Church’s Convent Garden is now open to the public for the first time in 500 years. Visitors can rest on one of our Glenwood benches distributed along the paths while enjoying the sumptuous view.
Next we travel across the world where the world is gathering for World Exposition 2025 on the island of Yumeshima in Osaka. For this occasion, Tectona and Mobilier national partnered for the first time to create a range of furniture for the France Pavilion. The Osaka 25 collection, designed by Jean-Baptiste Fastrez, consists of a chair, armchair and table – all of which are stackable. The seating pieces have a structure in aluminium softened by ash wood on the seat and the backrest. The table has a leg assembly in stainless steel for sturdiness and a tabletop in aluminium for lightness. While Osaka 25 visitors will see the collection in black only, it will be available in other colours on demand.
For our last leg, we return to Europe for a stay at the charming Severo palace in Porto. The early 20th century building has been completely renovated and is now a 5-star hotel. The palace and its gardens, both listed, are an ode to wellbeing combining cultural tradition and contemporary design. Tectona is present in the gardens: Horizon sun loungers and Roma parasols in absolute black provide a striking contrast to the poolside area; elsewhere armchairs from the Colonial collection in sand blend into the surroundings, as do the accompanying Roma parasols in green.
Finally, we propose a selection of our newest models to bring joy to your outdoor lifestyle while you create memories with family and friends.
A Muller Van Severen creation for the lemon tree garden
By Marie Farman
Sam Stourdzé, the visionary director of Villa Medici in Rome, commissioned the designers Muller Van Severen to design, in partnership with Tectona, an exclusive range of outdoor furniture for the lemon tree garden. A wise and just dialogue between heritage and design.
Villa Medici is one of those mythical places that leave a lasting impression on every visitor. The Renaissance-style architecture, the exceptional panorama of the Eternal City and the seven hectares of gardens, populated with stone pines and citrus trees, make it an incomparable cultural treasure and a unique source of inspiration.
REENCHANT, WITH A CONTEMPORARY SPIN
As part of the “Reenchanting Villa Medici” programme aiming to showcase design, art crafts and the restored site, Muller Van Severen were commissioned to design a new furniture collection for the lemon tree garden, rehabilitated by landscape gardener Bas Smets and architect Pierre-Antoine Gatier. The Belgian duo, formed by Fien Muller and Hannes Van Severen, like to question our relationship with space and architecture, to explore the frontiers between art and design. They design functional and sculptural furniture, and their signature touch is airy lines and strong colours. Having won several prizes and exhibited in the biggest museums and the most prestigious galleries, Muller Van Severen are deservedly recognised today as key figures in contemporary design.
CREATIVE DIALOGUE BETWEEN CULTURE AND DESIGN
With this collection, fabricated by Tectona, the designers participate in a gentle metamorphosis. They imagined a subtle balance between aesthetics, usage and durability. Their furniture does not seek to compete with or defy the place; rather it seeks to establish a dialogue, to echo, as if it had always been there. “The collection seeks to be an obvious reference to this iconic place and its incredible architecture,” they explain.
The duo named the new collection Cosimo de’ Medici, in honour of the Grand Duke of Toscany Cosimo I, a collector of rare citrus trees. It consists of metal pieces – tables, chairs and sun loungers – featuring minimal lines and sleek forms enriched by a subtle graphic detail: the triangle. “We imagined a composition with a rhythm set by repeating metallic blades, each ending in a triangle. This design choice draws in your eyes and also evokes the triangular forms of the garden and the lozenge motifs found throughout Villa Medici,” they continue. A skillful and pertinent tribute, made possible by the savoir-faire of Tectona.
They are also known for their mastery of colour. Here they chose a palette consisting of light green, dark blue and white, delicate and timeless hues that blend in harmoniously with the poetic lemon tree garden. In sum, Muller Van Severen have succeeded in inserting their pieces in an exceptional setting with finesse, imbuing the furniture collection with a strong timeless character. As such Cosimo de’ Medici is also an invitation to a contemplative pause.
CHAIR
COSIMO DE' MEDICI COLLECTION
40,5 × 53,3 cm
CHAIR
COSIMO DE' MEDICI COLLECTION
40,5 × 53,3 cm
SQUARE TABLE
COSIMO DE' MEDICI COLLECTION
74,5 × 74,5 cm
SQUARE TABLE
COSIMO DE' MEDICI COLLECTION
74,5 × 74,5 cm
The soul of our terracotta
By Alyette Debray
Round or square, classic or contemporary, tall or short, decorated with friezes or arches… These terracotta pots fabricated in Italy have something in common: their unique patina.
ITALY, LAND OF FIRE
Let’s head for Tuscany. To the gardens of the Medici where olive trees, box trees, lemon trees, Bizzarria trees, orange trees and all kinds of citrus reign majestically in their terracotta pots. Terracotta has been used in this region since antiquity, in gardens but also for storing olive oil and Chianti wine, thanks to its solidity, resistance to temperature fluctuations and its ability to evacuate humidity.
AN ARCHITECTURAL ELEMENT
These pots lend cachet to any garden and they also turn out to be essential elements when designing a landscape, shaping the identity of a place as a statue or a sculpture would. They are prized for their decorative and emotional power and as natural “works of art”, notably due to their inimitable patina. Sometimes they reach monumental heights to hold specimens reaching several metres in height, veritable museum pieces.
WORLDCLASS CRAFTSMANSHIP
It is for these reasons that Tectona, specialist in garden furniture, offers a wide range of pots made in Italy by the elite of artisan potters who have attained total mastery in working with clay – to the point that they can detect and eliminate even the smallest bubbles liable to crack during firing. Each pot is a veritable work of art, handcrafted from the best Tuscan clay over several weeks, from shaping with moulds, firing in kilns, drying then creation of the decoration. It follows that every pot is unique.
AN INTERNATIONAL REPUTATION
These artisans, with 30 years of know-how, have worked for some of the biggest names – most notably in England, for Chelsea Physic Garden in London, Trebah Garden in Cornwall, RHS Bridgewater Park in Salford and the Conservatory at Chiswick House in London, which houses one of the most beautiful collections of camellias in Europe. Today, Tectona provides them its own know-how in design and creation.
WIDE SELECTION
More than fifty models are offered and fabricated on demand, from the traditional to the contemporary, including jars whose ovoid shape is highly appreciated. They are called Cantina, Colonna Mezza, Festonato, Cubo… One is inspired by recipients in which olives were pressed; another holds climbing plants; the third evokes those in Italian villas showcasing citrus trees; the final one with its square shape, very elegant, is ideal for planting topiaries… Amateur garden designers are spoilt for choice.
ICONIC: THE ORCIO TOSCANO LISCIO JARS
These impressive terracotta urns are simple in shape and interesting in a garden setting. They look fabulous as a focal point centrally in a parterre or knot garden.
ORCIO TOSCANO LISCIO JARS
Colonna Pot
MAJESTIC: THE CILINDRO GRANDE POT
With its generous proportions, this pot is designed to accommodate small trees, providing them with the ideal space to thrive. Placed near the house, it is perfect for growing fruit trees, acers or olive trees. The 120 cm pot is the largest model we offer.
GRANDE POT
Ø 120 / H : 100 cm
Ø 100 / H : 80 cm
Ø 80 / H : 65 cm
AUTHENTIC: THE CANTINA POT
Inspired by the immense barrels once used for pressing olives, this pot charms with its simplicity. Its sleek lines, enhanced by decorative bands, reflect its artisanal heritage and deep roots in Mediterranean tradition.
Ø 60 / H : 50 cm Ø 100 / H : 90 cm Ø 75 / H : 68 cm Ø 55 / H : 50
POT
CILINDRO
CANTINA
By Paolo Casicci
Photographs courtesy of Venice Gardens Foundation
For the first time in half a millennium, the Church of the Most Holy Redeemer – designed by Andrea Palladio as a symbol of the renaissance after the plague – opened its garden to the public, following completion of a meticulous architectural and botanical restoration. Glenwood benches along the outdoor paths represent Tectona’s contribution to this project, a metaphor for the cohabitation of man and nature at the service of design. The Venice Gardens Foundation has succeeded in restoring the former splendour of this unique site for work and meditation.
On the island of Giudecca, in Venice, the hand of man and nature have worked together to create a site of stunning beauty: the Convent Garden of the Church of the Most Holy Redeemer, restored to its original state last October by the Venice Gardens Foundation.
Here you will find an idyll unlike any other, combining architecture and design with vegetation, a sense of discovery with the spirituality of a convent, the cultured impetus of the modern traveller with a devotion to meditation and other longstanding practices. And at this site dating back to the late 16th century, among the small and large olive groves, vines, old fruit trees, aromatic herbs, flowering plants, vegetables, wisterias, bignonias and tall imposing cypress trees, Tectona played its own small role in the restoration project undertaken by Paolo Pejrone and Alessandra Raso for the botanical and architectural aspects, respectively, following an invitation from the foundation. The project, entitled In Venetia Hortus Redemptor, has several merits, one of which is to open the site to the public for the first time in five hundred years. According to Adele Re Rebaudengo, President of the foundation: “With active engagement and a solid community built on shared intentions and values among professionals, institutions and patrons, it was possible to restore, in full respect of the principles of knowledge, responsibility, durability and self-sufficiency, a botanical and architectural heritage site of immeasurable historical, cultural and spiritual value, not only for the city of Venice but for the whole world.”
FROM PALLADIO TO THE 2019 FLOODS
Let’s go back in time. It was 1576, the second year of the dreaded pest, when La Serenissima placed its hopes of a renaissance in the construction of a new church dedicated to the Most Holy Redeemer. The site chosen was Giudecca, where the Capuchins had been established since the 1530s. Construction was entrusted to the great architect Andrea Palladio and was completed after his death. The final result was a unique space covering an area of around one hectare from the Giudecca canal to the lagoon – the Compendium of the Garden of the Redeemer, formed by a regular outline in the form of a cross with pergolas separating spaces dedicated to different cultures, including a flower garden, a vegetable garden for feeding the monks and the poor, and the Semplici Garden of medicinal herbs. In summary: a resilient gem created in response to the tragedy of the plague and, thanks to the Venice Gardens Foundation, reborn after the devastating floods that covered Venice in 187 cm of water in November 2019.
GLENWOOD BENCHES: AN INVITATION TO RELAXATION
Last October, Tectona brought its eco credentials to this magnificent paradise in the form of Glenwood benches. The use of solid teak, worked with an elegance that transcends passing fashions, reinforces the brand’s vocation of embellishing historic outdoor spaces with objects that are not only pieces of furniture, but veritable havens of relaxation. The Convent Garden is configured as a series of orthogonal paths, which divide the cultivated area in a rational manner typical of a place of work and meditation. In this setting, the exuberance of the vegetation and the everchanging garden paint several canvases throughout the year, bringing forth a burst of colours and fragrances each time, an ode to the vitality of nature. Glenwood benches are placed at strategic locations, offering not only somewhere to relax but the opportunity to enjoy landscapes of rare beauty: the water lily pond, for example, at the heart of the Convent Garden; the banks of the lagoon; the small secret shaded garden of Pittosporums, with compact and evergreen foliage; and the pergola covered in Banks Alba Plena rose bushes.
A TRIBUTE TO THE SLOW LIFE
The design is understated, an elegant way to allow visitors to enjoy discovering the history and the nature of the site in its most valuable details. Whether it’s the Meditation Chapel or the Old Workshops, the Laboratories with the Oil Mill and the Honey Extraction Room, or the Cafe selling traditional products directly from the vegetable garden, everything reflects the desire to bring together man and nature in a higher plane. In the words of Adele Re Rebaudengo, it’s about celebrating the “feeling of depth”, the rediscovery of joy “for the simplicity of and oneness with nature”, passion and dedication “which are transformed into application and love for what we do”.
In teak
In Imperial teak
In teak In Imperial teak
In teak In Imperial teak
In teak In Imperial teak
BENCH 120 CM
GLENWOOD COLLECTION
120 × 64 cm
BENCH 150 CM
GLENWOOD COLLECTION
150 × 64 cm
BENCH 180 CM
GLENWOOD COLLECTION
180 × 64 cm
BENCH 240 CM
GLENWOOD COLLECTION
240 × 64 cm
By Jean-Christophe Camuset
Photographs by Nathan Cussol Portrait by Alexandra de Cossette
Until 13 October, visitors will be flocking to the World Exposition in Osaka (Japan) and France has every intention of playing a prominent role through its pavilion. The theme “Hymn to Love” (Hymne à l’Amour) was chosen as a way of tying together the different spaces and also highlighting the rich cultural exchange between France and the Land of the Rising Sun.
This is the context in which the France Pavilion approached Mobilier national to create original furniture for its public spaces. It was also a way of reviving the institution’s tradition of promoting French creativity at major international events – no furniture had been specifically designed for a World Exposition since the 1970s (Olivier Mourgue for Montreal in 1967 and Pierre Paulin for Osaka in 1970). With its characteristic vision and vitality, the board of Mobilier national seized this opportunity to showcase French creativity at Osaka 2025 and selected Tectona to develop the furniture.
To choose a designer, a competition was organised. Villa Noailles, which organises the Design Parade festival every year, was approached for a selection of candidates. Jean-Baptiste Fastrez won this competition. His addition to the Tectona catalogue is in keeping with a long tradition of collaborating with the best French designers: Ronan and Erwan Bouroullec, Pierre Charpin, Martin Szekely and many others.
Fortunately the collection (armchair, chair and table) is not exclusively reserved for those attending Osaka 2025 as it will be jointly launched by Tectona and Mobilier national, which will also be able to recommend it to public bodies. In addition, although the collection on display at the France Pavilion will be in black only, commercialisation will bring other colour options!
T magazine spoke with Jean-Baptiste Fastrez about how he designed this collection.
What was the initial brief for the project?
José Lévy, the pavilion’s artistic director, did not want me to see the pavilion’s architecture before designing the chair. He wanted the chair to function independently of its setting. The goal was therefore to design a solid compact stackable chair that was easy to produce with Tectona. The project also included stackable tables, which was a massive technical challenge. Finally, my guiding principle was the ties between France and Japan. I revisited the French bistrot chair – bistros in France signifying a place of conviviality and encounters –to evoke the notion of love and exchange. But I also wanted to enrich it with other references: a bit of Thonet, a bit of MalletStevens… and a nod to tabis, two-toed socks, which for me evoke Japanese culture.
How did you come up with the distinctive form for the backrest?
It’s inspired by the form of a frog. On the one hand, it’s a nod to the nickname used for the French. On the other, in
Japan, the frog is a totemic animal for explorers: travellers often have on their person amulets in the form of a frog. So the chairs in the France Pavilion become amulets of the France Pavilion, objects to protect the friendship between our cultures.
How did Tectona’s identity influence the design?
From the outset, for me it was essential that the design was in line with Tectona’s DNA. I analysed their work, especially their chairs made from tubes and wood, and I attempted to honour their heritage while also adding my personal touch. I decided that the structure should be made of metal, a
25 COLLECTION 46 × 53 cm
25 COLLECTION
× 53 cm
light and resistant material, which moreover lends itself to elegant curves. Wood is used in key locations for comfort. This marriage seemed logical to me and it guided the design.
Tell us about the development process with Tectona and Mobilier national’s Research and Creation Workshop?
With them, it was about the technical details: which tubes to use, bending radii, comfort… It was about transforming a 3D vision into a perfectly functional object. We also explored different options for the materials: aluminium or stainless steel? How to fix the wooden parts? As for the colour, I had in mind a finish that would let the wood grain show through, some sort of stain. In the end though, the France Pavilion chose a dark colour, a sober option that evokes both the Japanese culture and French elegance. In less than a year, we designed the first prototype, tested and adjusted the inclination of the backrest and finalised the ensemble. A record time!
25 COLLECTION
72 × 76,5 cm
Dolce vita in Porto
By Serge Gleizes
When renovation work was completed in 2024, Palacete Severo opened as an elegant 5-star boutique hotel. The sophisticated atmosphere extends to the garden and the pool area where Tectona furniture blends seamlessly into the ambient tranquillity.
With its ochre facade, the local breeze blowing through the garden and pool area, windows with finely wrought grilles… And indoors the soft lighting, panelling and neoclassic architectural details in osmosis with the sobriety and decorative monochrome… Palacete Severo exudes a seductive allure. Notably outside where the Tectona spirit finds maximum expression around the swimming pool with the Horizon stackable sun lounger in aluminium designed by the studio AC/AL, a piece perfectly adapted to the hotel sector thanks to its resistant and comfortable Batyline, eliminating the need for mattress. Beside it, the Roma parasol with black canvas fabricated by hand in Italy, is one of the brand’s flagship products. The same meditation-friendly style extends to the garden, with the Colonial armchair in woven resin, comfortable and light, hence easy to move, and once again the Roma parasol but this time in green to blend in with the vegetation.
Ricardo Severo (1869–1940), architect, engineer, archaeologist and writer, poured his heart and soul – and probably his dreams – into the construction of this palace in the spirit of beautiful Portuguese homes in the early 20th century. However the passage of time left its mark on the building, particularly the stained glass windows and ceramic decorative elements – a renovation was necessary. The building itself was masterfully restored by the company Vitruvio. Inside the owners, in conjunction with the hotel’s director Joana Almeida, applied the same magic to the common areas and the twenty rooms; they also created a garden and a swimming pool. Particular attention was paid to the details so that the boutique hotel’s modernity would not compromise its soul.
Photos by Rupert Eden
Palacete Severo, today a listed building, reflects the vision of its architect, the quest for silence that he cherished and respect for the environment that he also had. The same sensibility is present in the annexed buildings: the Michelin-starred restaurant Eon headed by chef Tiago Bonito, the Bistro, Spa Severo and Perspective Galerie, an art gallery created by Géraldine Banier, thrilled to inaugurate this space, her second after Paris in 2002. STACKABLE
200 × 75,5 cm
SQUARE
PARASOL 2,5 M ROMA COLLECTION
2,5 × 2,5 m
STUDIO ARMCHAIR COLONIAL COLLECTION
59 × 65 cm
SQUARE PARASOL 2,5 M
ROMA COLLECTION
2,5 × 2,5 m
HORIZON SIDE TABLES
By Studio AC/AL
The joy of simplicity : While you’re lying down on a Horizon sun lounger, it takes minimal effort to reach out to take or put down a glass, a magazine or a book on one of the two side tables specially created for the collection.
ROUND SIDE TABLE Ø 40 cm
RECTANGULAR SIDE TABLE 40 × 32 cm
ALCEA TRAYS
By Maria Jeglinska
For her first collaboration with Tectona, Maria Jeglinska conceived two trays in lacquered wood with the appearance of framed paintings. The abstract motifs, lines and circles, are inspired by the stems and buds of hollyhocks.
SMALL MODEL TRAY
32,8 × 26,3 cm
LARGE MODEL TRAY 55,3 × 35,3 cm
1800 SUN LOUNGER
The classic structure of the 1800 collection is found in this sun lounger in powder-coated aluminium. Visual discretion abounds: the mechanism offering four backrest positions and the castor wheels onthe rear legs are seamless parts of the whole. The comfortable white mattress, specially treated for outdoor use, is the perfect match. Practical to use, light, easy to move…the qualities of the 1800 collection are upheld and here channelled into the art of relaxation.
SUN LOUNGER
× 75 cm
SERENA COLLECTION
By Christophe Delcourt
This collection by Christophe Delcourt attests to the designer’s creative freedom, whichowes it self to his perfect knowledge of wood, teak in particular. Here the wood seems emancipated from its standard sturdy image, with the lines and the slanted widely set legs generating an aerodynamic, almost weightless, look. The gaps in the backrests and in the armrests contribute to the aerial grace of this piece, making it suitable for indoor use, a garden or a patio.
HAVANA COLLECTION
This rattan living room evokes the fashion of winter gardens from the last century. The design of the backs and the clean lines of this rattan set give it a truly unique style. Comprising a table and an armchair, this rattan living room fits perfectly into refined interiors as well as verandas or other winter gardens. Woven with traditional craftsmanship, this rattan collection is lightweight and easy to move. This set can be used outdoors. However, rattan is sensitive to humidity and direct heat sources (such as stoves and radiators), so it is recommended to bring it inside when not in use. ARMCHAIR
53 × 63,5 cm TABLE 97 × 95 cm
PLATEFORME 10 BENCH
By Pierre Charpin
This bench was originally made in oak to welcome visitors to Plateforme 10, the museum centre in Lausanne. Inspired by the railway tracks close to the museum, Pierre Charpin took up its visual language, which is both obvious and discreet. Tectona is now offering a teak version that is suitable for outdoor living. Made up of sections of solid teak, simply joined together, this bench blends seamlessly into the surrounding landscape.
France
Stores
Paris
36 rue du Bac 75007 Paris Tel. +33 1 47 03 38 05 paris@tectona.fr
Lyon
8 rue Antoine de Saint Exupéry 69002 Lyon Tel. +33 4 78 37 05 05 lyon@tectona.fr
Saint-Rémy de Provence 7 avenue Albin Gilles 13210 Saint-Rémy de Provence Tel. +33 4 32 62 05 05 saintremy@tectona.fr
Vallauris
3015 chemin Saint-Bernard 06225 Vallauris Tel. +33 4 92 96 92 29 vallauris@tectona.fr
Switzerland
Store
Nyon Avenue Viollier 4 1260 Nyon Tel. +41 22 700 10 10 suisse@tectona.ch
Spain
Italy
Store
Madrid Calle de Claudio Coello 22 28001 Madrid Tel. +34 91 781 18 45 madrid@tectona.es
Store
Milan Via della Moscova 47/A 20121 Milan Tel. +39 02 65 34 23 milano@tectona.it
Portugal
Order
www.tectona.ch suisse@tectona.ch +41 22 700 10 10
Order
www.tectona.fr info@tectona.fr +33 1 47 03 05 05 36 rue du Bac, 75007 Paris
Contract
Marion Guéroult mg@tectona.fr + 33 7 86 34 21 99
Mireille Vosgien PACA Region m.vosgien@tectona.fr + 33 6 84 95 99 42
Contract
Roberto Bolzoni rb@tectona.ch +41 79 322 84 31
Order
www.tectona.es madrid@tectona.es +34 91 781 18 45
Contract
Mar Izquierdo mizquierdo@tectona.es + 34 627 57 93 12
Order
www.tectona.it milano@tectona.it +39 02 65 34 23
Order
www.tectona.pt portugal@tectona.pt +35 19 22 27 92 60
Contract
Massimo Bufi m.bufi@tectona.it + 39 351 39 69 798
Contract
Mariana Abreu Lima ml@tectona.pt + 35 19 22 27 92 60
All countries
Order
www.tectona.fr info@tectona.fr +33 1 47 03 05 05 36 rue du Bac, 75007 Paris
Contract
Marion Guéroult mg@tectona.fr + 33 7 86 34 21 99