This book is an ode to the beauty of nature

This book is an ode to the beauty of nature

Text: Christine Holmes Photos: Lur Garden
FB
PN
X

Share 

Iñigo Segurola’s book Lur Garden looks back at the genesis of his “garden of gardens” that he has been shaping for ten years in the Oiartzun valley.

But since a garden is nothing without its gardener, the Basque landscape designer also reveals a lot about himself. It is the story of a man in search of order and beauty in the heart of a free and indomitable nature.

As a child, Iñigo Segurola was one of those children who picked flowers on every school outing. He used to say that when he grew up, he would write “books about trees”. Already passionate about plants, he tells how moved he was when, in science class, the seeds he had placed in damp cotton finally germinated.

Fifty years later, he has created a garden that is unique in the Basque Country, an “oddity” in the local landscape. Above all, he has published Lur Garden, the “book about trees” he had dreamed of.

“I always say that this garden was like adopting quintuplets: when one sleeps, the other cries, another becomes uncontrollable, and so on,” – Iñigo Segurola

Lur Garden, the 10-year genesis of a book
Lur Garden is a collection of 16 themed gardens; a “garden of gardens” spread over two hectares in the heart of a small valley in Oiartzun. Some would say it is the Garden of Eden. However, when Iñigo Segurola and his partner Juan Iriarte found this land ten years ago, it was just a meadow where a few cows grazed, bordered by the Sarobe stream.

At the head of Lur Paisajistak since 1994, the visionary landscape architects of Gipuzkoa fell in love with the place and decided to acquire it in order to experiment with their art without constraints.

As the pages turn, Segurola reveals the stages of the project. We learn that the idea of creating a succession of round, rather than straight-lined, gardens emerged from Juan Iriarte’s sketch of a fried egg. Inspired by metal rings found on the site, Iriarte sketched a garden conceived not as an extension of a building, but as islands in the middle of nature.

The photographs, by Segurola himself and by Clair Takacs, Marta Etxebarria and Unai Bellami, offer a visual journey through these contrasting spaces. We meander from the garden of mirrors, soberly organised around a stretch of water devoid of aquatic plants, to the multi-coloured and luxuriant garden of extravagance.

Segurola opens the doors to his inner garden
Lur Garden is organised in two parts: the gardener and then the garden. For Segurola, the relationship between the two is visceral. “I always say that this garden was like adopting quintuplets: when one sleeps, the other cries, another becomes uncontrollable, and so on,” he says. The first eight years of this creation were like an obsessive relationship, in which he admits to having forgotten himself to the point of “hitting rock bottom”. He compares the garden to a child forever dependent on its parent.

Only yoga and meditation freed him from this interdependence and enabled him to rebuild himself. Rather than a Creator, he then took the place of an Observer in these gardens full of plants and animals, which in the end were not so dependent on him.

You can buy the book here!

Alki unveils its new headquarters: a sustainable workshop with a showroom and shop

ALKI UNVEILS ITS NEW HEADQUARTERS

Text: Christine Holmes Photos: Mito & Pierre Leibar
FB
PN
X

Share 

The Basque cooperative Alki has embarked on an important new chapter in its history by leaving Itsasu, the location of its original base for more than 40 years.

Alki’s new workshop, designed by Leibar & Seigneurin, is a shining example of sustainable innovation. Covering 8,260 m², it illustrates the cooperative’s strong commitment to the Basque Country’s economic and cultural development while placing sustainability at the heart of its priorities.

The building’s architecture was designed to adapt to the site’s sloping topography, reducing ecological impact and optimising manufacturing processes. Its ensuing circular organisation provides greater comfort for the teams and more efficient production.

“It can operate without heating or air conditioning thanks to its advanced insulation”

The site goes even further in terms of energy efficiency. It can operate without heating or air conditioning thanks to its advanced insulation, while natural lighting, amplified by open facades, minimises the use of artificial light. In partnership with local energy supplier Enargia, electricity is already 100% renewable, and solar panels will soon cover all the site’s energy needs.

An immersive showroom: a space for creation and discovery
The 400 m² showroom, designed by Iratzoki Studio, provides a glimpse into the world of Alki through a series of curves and apertures laid out around a curtain measuring over 100 metres in length. Here, both private individuals and professionals can discover Alki’s furniture collections, whether creations for the home, solutions for the hospitality industry or fitting out offices. The showroom is laid out with various spaces that stage different settings, for example a restaurant, lounge, projection room, library, that highlight the versatility of Alki’s creations.

A shop dedicated to local expertise
To enhance the experience, there is a shop adjoining the showroom that sells items designed in partnership with local artisans and brands. Discover or rediscover Basque know-how through a careful selection of original items, made on site or by other designers in the region. The showroom and shop is open from Tuesday to Saturday, 9am to 5pm.

Find out More: Alki’s new headquarters

More Articles

View All