Piet Oudolf creates a new garden at Vandalorum

The art and design museum Vandalorum in Värnamo, Sweden, is pleased to announce that Piet Oudolf has designed a garden for the museum's courtyard. The construction of the new garden will begin in February 2025 and will be completed in May 2025.

In the spring of 2025, Vandalorum will establish a new garden designed by the renowned Dutch garden designer Piet Oudolf. He has taken on the entire museum courtyard, approximately 2,500 m², which will be transformed into a bowl-shaped plant environment designed for visitors to experience and enjoy. The space will feature an 850 m² perennial meadow, artworks, rest areas, walkways, spaces for educational activities, and a large outdoor seating area for the museum’s restaurant guests.

Quote from Piet Oudolf
"I am delighted that the courtyard garden at Vandalorum is now becoming a reality! The idea behind the courtyard is that it should not just be a terrace or an extension of the restaurant, but a place where people can truly immerse themselves in the garden and appreciate both the plants and the surrounding art. A space where one can linger for a while after a good lunch.”

Quote from Elna Svenle, Museum Director, Vandalorum
"In 2022, Piet Oudolf presented a remarkable master plan for the entire Vandalorum site (8.4 ha). In 2023, work commenced, and the first phase, covering the museum’s southern grounds, was inaugurated in September the same year. Thanks to Piet Oudolf’s dedication along with strong support from our financial partners, we are now able—just two years later—to realize the second phase of the master plan, namely the courtyard, which forms the heart of Vandalorum.”

About Piet Oudolf
Piet Oudolf’s garden at the art and design museum Vandalorum is his first at a Nordic cultural institution. Oudolf is one of the world’s leading garden designers, known for projects such as the gardens at The High Line in New York, Vitra Campus in Weil am Rhein, and the restaurant Noma in Copenhagen. He specializes in naturalistic planting design, rooted in the location and surrounding nature, creating gardens that evolve and captivate throughout all four seasons.

Piet Oudolf's garden at Vandalorum is made possible by:
Christina Hamrin
Bengt & Gunnel Liljedahl
Mats Skogsfors
Bengt Svenstig

Thanks also to:
The Royal Academy of Fine Arts, Hjalmar Wicander’s Fund
Bertil & Britt Svenssons Foundation for Lighting Technology

Photos:
Piet Oudolf's planting design for Vandalorum courtyard garden.
Piet Oudolf's courtyard garden at Vandalorum. Concept drawing by Piet Oudolf / Deltavormgroep
Piet Oudolf in Vandalorum's garden, photo: Magdalena Johansson
Vandalorum's garden, photo: John Nelander