For one evening, the studio was transformed into a lively gallery. A series of sculptural installations by TCL were brought to life by many hands across the practice. Together, they distilled the ecological, cultural and botanical themes that have shaped TCL’s approach to designing public and private gardens for more than thirty-five years.
The experience began before guests opened the door. Circles of red sand commandeered the streetscape, while blackened branches beckoned visitors inside. Suspended roots overhead sparked conversation, and shadows of microscopic cellular structures and cyanotypes invited moments of curiosity, reflection and wonder.
Inside, floral badges adorned lapels as guests moved through the exhibition. Upstairs, a richly hand-woven rug of Banksias by Jenny Jones Rugs, and a suspended floral arrangement framed the evening’s main attraction: a panel discussion that explored the ever-expanding question, What is a garden?
TCL welcomed speakers Emmaline Bowman, Alistair Kirkpatrick, Bede Brennan and Jakobi lli-Jakobi, alongside moderator Professor Gini Lee, for a thought-provoking conversation that traversed ecology, culture and design. Together, they examined the complexities of weed ecologies, the work of rebuilding resilient ecosystems, and the ways our societal ideas of ‘care’ shape the landscapes around us. The discussion also highlighted the power of narrative in landscape architecture and how stories, memories and relationships influence our understanding of place.
More than an exhibition, What a Garden? was an invitation to look differently. Through installation, conversation and shared experience, the evening challenged conventional notions of what a garden can be — revealing it as a living cultural, ecological and social construct, continually evolving through the people and places that shape it.
The event attracted over 100 industry peers and garden enthusiasts. Opening and reshaping our studio space to invite our collective love for the complexity and power of gardens was energising.
‘What is Garden?’ sits within our Field Conversations initiative. Events that identify progressive avenues of inquiry, discover new territory for design, and inspire innovative forms of practice. Please look out for the next one!
Special thanks to Lucas Maddock, Kasimir Burgess, Esther Cullity, Beau, and Luke Jones from Jenny Jones Rugs.
