In 2008, we won the bid for the design of an orientation system in the Tuileries garden. The goal was to guide visitors through the aisles, but also to give them information about works or plants they may encounter during their visit.

For a garden that dates back to the 14th century and borders the Louvre, we wanted to provide a contemporary response instead of a historical imitation. We wanted a visible but subtle answer. Our first source of inspiration was the luminous vibration of the leaves of the garden’s trees.

That is how we arrived, in collaboration with designer Laurent Vié, at the concept of vegetable origami. The holder folds up to become a desk, floor cartel or directional signage. The white color of the support mimicked that of the stone, while the cut-out directional arrows formed windows on the landscape. As such, the signage took a minimalist and poetic form.