EAUtopia is a new chapter in the history of the place where the Chamberonne meets Lake Geneva. Here, the aquatic landscape takes center stage and the garden becomes a place of wonderment. No example of garden and landscape design embodies this quest for wonderment better than the Cave of Animals at the Villa Castello in Florence—a fantastical, watery world designed by Niccolò Tribolo in 1539. Its best-known feature is a sculpture of the Medici giraffe presented to Lorenzo de’ Medici by the Egyptian ambassador.

In its new home at the mouth of the Chamberonne, the giraffe both awakens memories of past wonders and lends a touch of exoticism to the setting. Here, the giraffe is packed with branches, stones and moss, serving as a habitat for plants and wildlife, while its feet stand among the diverse species already inhabiting the lake’s shore. As climate change alters this aquatic landscape, EAUtopia draws on the power of art and wonderment to suggest a possible future.