A garden floats with depth and texture
Imagine stepping into a landscape where the garden itself emerges as a living sculpture. “Slow Dream,” presented by OF A, does just that at the Chelsea Flower Show 2026. From May 19th to 23rd, within the storied Great Pavilion, this intriguing installation rises from the floor as if lifted into form by the earth itself. It follows “Moon Garden,” showcased during Frieze Week London 2025, and represents the latest evolution in OF A’s exploration of the garden as a sculptural medium. The studio, led by Ralu Emandi and Laura Lim Sam, crafts an environment that feels both intimate and expansive through its exploration of botanical landscapes.
Volcanic inspiration
In “Slow Dream,” OF A envisions a botanical world forged by elements of burning, growth, and rebirth. Charred surfaces evoke volcanic terrain and fertile earth, while shadow-like plantings suggest a landscape suspended between formation and dissolution. This thought-provoking tension between the garden as an object and an environment challenges conventional expectations, making the installation feel spatial before it feels floral.
The blackened forms and the compressed, geological weight of the installation add a compelling depth. Within the Great Pavilion, the garden’s presence transforms, evolving into an atmospheric object that shifts perspectives and dimensions.
Beyond conventional gardens
OF A describes “Slow Dream” as probing the “garden as object” concept. This approach embraces the garden as something with volume, edge, and texture—an architectural entity that can alter atmospheres and perceptions. The installation merges botanical life with surface interactions and spatial design, creating a unified system of growth and fabrication.
Here, the garden is not merely decorative but a constructed and grown entity. This unique treatment brings “Slow Dream” closer to a crafted terrain, redefining botanic spaces within design culture.
A darker shade of growth
Breaking away from the vibrant palettes often seen at the Chelsea Flower Show, OF A selects shades of shadow, burn marks, and mineral textures. This darker approach imparts intimacy and a peculiar allure, as if the garden has traversed fire and entered a new phase of development. “Slow Dream” thus becomes a cultural artifact, a spacial experiment, and a testament to the transformative potential of botanical environments.
The project is a compelling manifesto for how gardens can embody memory, mood, and material precision, yet remain dynamic and resonant in form and function.
Project details
- Name: Slow Dream
- Designer: OF A | @ofaspace
- Event: Chelsea Flower Show 2026
- Dates: May 19th to 23rd
- Studio founders: Ralu Emandi, Laura Lim Sam
- Photography: @edmundsumner
Sources & Links
Source: designboom.com