Art Basel 2025

FLORA RENAISSANCE – The Revival of Swiss Orchard Meadows

For years, Enea Landscape Architecture has been transforming the inner courtyard of Art Basel into an immersive natural installation as part of the fair’s sustainability initiatives. In the Rundhof—surrounded by galleries exhibiting world-renowned artworks—Enea presents innovative visions for a sustainable Swiss landscape. In 2025, Enea is placing traditional orchard meadows in the spotlight and, through the nature installation FLORA RENAISSANCE, is presenting a forward-looking reintegration of a nearly forgotten element of the Swiss landscape and cultural heritage.

Orchard meadows once strongly shaped the landscape of the Swiss Plateau up until the 20th century—and still do today, albeit to a much lesser extent. From 1950 to 1975, the Swiss government ordered the systematic destruction of around 11 million tall-stemmed fruit trees in an effort to curb nationwide alcohol consumption. This state-organized initiative not only eliminated apple trees used for alcohol production, but also—unintentionally—wiped out an ecologically and culturally important landscape typology almost entirely.

FLORA RENAISSANCE is a modern interpretation of the orchard meadow that preserves a historically rooted landscape image while simultaneously offering solutions to contemporary challenges such as climate change and food security. Through a networked system of deciduous and coniferous trees, fruit trees, shrubs, and perennials, a dynamic habitat of aesthetic quality is created—one that produces high-quality fruits and vegetables and promotes local biodiversity. Shade-giving trees ensure a pleasant microclimate, while fruit trees yield juicy apples, sweet pears, or tart cherries of the highest quality. Additionally, the vegetables offer another layer of nourishment, accompanied by blooming perennials that attract essential pollinating insects. This plant community unites native, traditional Swiss fruit varieties with carefully introduced non-native species, thus laying the foundation for a future-oriented and climate-resilient Swiss orchard meadow.

Inspired by Enea’s Italian roots, all of this is experienced along a central Tavolata. It brings together visitors from around the world and creates a space for shared exchange and reflection on sustainability.