In this garden, the plant world, so intimately connected to the land, meets the waters of the lake. The result is a new take on La Dolce Vita by the waterfront, enticing walkers to dive in, bathers to take a breather, passersby to stop and reflect, and the lake’s wildlife to settle in. The garden is an embodiment of this duality: the floats that normally mark out bathing areas now serve to contain the plant life on the water’s surface. Fender buoys, designed to protect boats, are transformed into floating furniture, providing a space for bathers to rest and meditate. Aquatic plants, typically found around the edges of lakes, rivers and other wetlands, venture out onto the lake itself.

The layout of the garden is inspired by the adjoining swimming pools at Bellerive-Plage, prompting us to question their presence—at once redundant and imposing—on the lake’s shore. While the Modernist architects of the 1960s turned to concrete and backfill to provide bathing facilities for the people of Lausanne, Jardin Nautique achieves the same goal with significantly fewer materials.