Swiss luxury skincare brand La Prairie commissioned renowned Swiss architect Mario Botta to create a unique Archisculpture inspired by the origin of life. After a first collaboration with La Prairie revealed at Art Basel Miami Beach in 2018, Mr Botta pays tribute to these origins through a new, ambitious installation. This Archisculpture echoes Mr Botta’s original creation in a new form. The circular, dome-like pavilion, constructed specifically for the 2019 edition of West Bund Art & Design in Shanghai, allows the piece to fully encompass participants in a contemplative, immersive experience.

Designing a full-scale, circular structure that is not only meant to be observed and admired from the exterior, but also to be entered into and experienced from its core, Mr Botta has succeeded in capturing the essence of where life begins in this rounded structure – the purest, most absolute of forms. The sleek vertical wooden slats, aligned in organic, feminine curves, invite the viewer to explore what lies within. Once inside, the participants experience the domed space as a respite from the outside world – a place where time stands still.