
Mangrove Forest: Eduardo Banderas G.
SWAROVSKI Crystal Palace sneak preview
Design Miami \ 2013 collaboration with Brazilian architect Guilherme Torres
Titled Mangue Groove, this experimental architectural installation will be unveiled at Design Miami/, December 4 – 8, 2013 in Miami Beach, Florida. Torres’ built environment occurs at the intersection of the natural, architectural and mathematical spheres. Torres’s design will incorporate Swarovski’s lead-free Advanced Crystal that will fill synthetic tubes, linked by geometric joints and lit with energy efficient LEDs. The structure itself will resemble a mangrove forest, with the joints at intervals throughout the space that follow the naturally occurring Voronoi diagram. Visitors will navigate through the space by walking on pathways of certified and reclaimed wood, in between the rising mangrove structures positioned above a shallow pool. Torres’ piece is a reflection on the topic of conserving natural resources, a central theme of Swarovski’s newly created foundation. He has brought to life the powerful but fragile beauty of Brazil’s endangered mangrove forests.