Muller Van Severen is launching an outdoor furniture line for the lemon garden of Villa Medici produced by Tectona
Under the title ‘Reenchanting the Villa Medici’, the Villa Medici in Rome (which has housed the French Academy in Rome since 1803) has been working on a thorough renovation for several years.
This summer the lemon garden will be revealed. The garden was renovated by landscape architect Bas Smets in collaboration with Pierre-Antoine Gatier, senior architect of Historic Monuments. For the occasion, the design duo Muller Van Severen designed the furniture line Cosimo’ de Medici for the garden produced by the French label Tectona, which will also be presented at their showroom in Milan during Salone del Mobile in Milan.
The collection includes tables, chairs and loungers, and is available in three colours: white, light green and dark blue.
The lemon garden is a convivial place that notably hosts meals and meetings between residents and teams of Villa Medici.
The lemon garden inspired designers Muller Van Severen in the design of their new line of refined furniture, Cosimo de’ Medici, to be fabricated by Tectona. The pieces echo the characteristic triangular form of the garden and interact with the historic architectural elements of Villa Medici. Made of metal worked into subtle curves and refined lines, they also reuse the triangle motif via a colour palette of light green, dark blue and white. Form and colour together reinforce the harmony in the citrus garden, with furniture effortlessly combining design and function.
"Our designs always arise within a certain context and in dialogue with the space and architecture they are created for. As this collection was made for the citrus garden of the Villa Medici, we wanted to provide a clear reference to this iconic place and its amazing architecture. So we designed a collection composed of a repetitive pattern of metal slats, each terminating in a triangle. This design choice enhances visual appeal while providing a clear reference to the triangular forms in the garden and the diamond shapes found throughout Villa Medici’s architecture."
- Muller Van Severen , designers of the furniture line Cosimo de' Medici
The new collection was named Cosimo de’ Medici in honour of the Grand Duke of Tuscany, Cosimo I, a collector of rare citrus fruits who introduced some of the finest historic specimens to the Medici gardens of Florence.
MULLER VAN SEVEREN X TECTONA
FROM 07 TO 13 APRIL 2025
TECTONA SHOWROOM
VIA DELLA MOSCOVA 47/A, MILAN
The collection will be presented at the Villa Medici from 13 June 2025
About Muller Van Severen
Founded in spring 2011, Muller Van Severen explore the frontiers between art and design. Fien Muller and Hannes Van Severen, both artists, conceive sculpted furniture pieces that blend discreetly into the surrounding space. Their creations draw on extensive investigations in art, architecture and materials, reflecting an intuitive and aerial approach, akin to drawings in space.
Muller Van Severen have won numerous awards and been recognised by the most prestigious institutions (Vitra Design Museum, Centre Pompidou, Musée des Arts Décoratifs...) – they are without a doubt one of the most influential design duos on the European scene. Their creations are exhibited in galleries such as (Galerie Kreo, Tim Van Laere Gallery...), and they’ve won over both private individuals and professionals, leaving a lasting legacy in the contemporary design scene.
Re-enchanting Villa Medici
The Re-enchanting Villa Medici programme was launched by the French Academy in Rome – Villa Medici in 2022, with the objective of showcasing contemporary design, artistic endeavours and restored heritage of Villa Medici.
Six reception rooms have already been refurbished by Kim Jones and Silvia Venturini Fendi (2022), and six historical rooms refurbished by India Mahdavi (2023). In 2025, the programme is entering a new phase with the opening of seven guest rooms and two citrus gardens entirely reimagined in a spirit of dialogue between heritage and contemporary creation. Each room has been entrusted to a team of architects, designers and professional craftspeople, while the two citrus gardens will call on the know-how of landscape gardeners, architects and contemporary artists.
About Tectona
For nearly half a century, Tectona has been offering durable outdoor furniture perfectly suited to its functions. Its reputation is firmly rooted in its mastery in fabrication, combining traditional craftsmanship with cutting-edge technologies.
In 1992, Tectona collaborated with Andrée Putman for a bench destined for CAPC, the Contemporary Art Museum of Bordeaux. Since then, Tectona has opened its workshops to several designers, including the Bourroulec brothers in 2003, Pierre Charpin in 2007 and Inga Sempé in 2009. Since 2020, the ongoing relationship with ECAL (Lausanne University of Art and Design), ranked in the top ten design schools worldwide, has also borne many fruits.
Its catalogue now features collections signed by the elite of contemporary international design such as BIG-GAME, Barber & Osgerby, Constance Guisset, Thinkk Studio, Julie Richoz, Isabelle Baudraz and also central figures in the history of design such as Martin Szekely.
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