Dezeen Magazine

The eight best outdoor installations to see this summer

A pool of marble in the courtyard of a French chateau and a towering waterfall that appears to fall from midair at the Palace of Versailles are among the outdoor installations taking place during the European and North American summer (+ slideshow).

We've put together a list of the eight must-see works:


A shimmering marble pool in the courtyard of a French chateau

liquid-marble-sculpture-mathieu-lehanneur-petite-loire-installation-international-garden-festival-domaine-de-chaumont-sur-loire-centre-darts-et-de-nature-flowing-green-sea_dezeen_dezeen_sq-468x468

French designer Mathieu Lehanneur's convincingly rippling pool made from marble is on show in the courtyard of the Domaine de Chaumont-sur-Loire Centre D'Arts et de Nature in France until 2 November 2016.

The 7.5-metre-long patch has been created from a single section of hand-polished green marble, and was designed using 3D software to look like water that has been "gently ruffled" by the wind.

Domaine de Chaumont-sur-Loire Centre D'Arts et de Nature in France


Jaime Hayón's Tiovivo animal-shaped sculptures

tiovivo-whimsical-sculptures-jaime-hayon-high-museum-of-art-atlanta-caroll-slater-sifly-piazza-wood-animal-everyday-object-sculptures-colourful-patterns_dezeen_1568_sq-468x468

Looking for something to occupy the kids? Spanish designer Jaime Hayón has installed a play area at the High Museum of Art in Atlanta in the shape of animals – each decorated with different colours and patterns.

A pig covered in red and white chevrons has a small flight of steps leading up to its back end, while a seated black and white monkey features a slide coming out of its belly. Constructed from wood, the pieces are designed to be climbed over and clambered inside, and will be in-situ until 27 November.

High Museum of Art, 1280 Peachtree Street, Atlanta.


Olafur Eliasson's giant waterfall floating in midair

waterfall-olafur-eliasson-versailles-installation-art-france-anders-sune-berg_dezeen_sq_0-468x469

Danish-Icelandic artist Olafur Eliasson's towering waterfall crashes into the Grand Canal of the Palace of Versailles.

Cascading from high above the surface of the pool, the Waterfall installation appears as a torrent of water of with no discernible source when viewed from the front steps of the palace.

Running until 30 October 2016, Eliasson's exhibition also features three outdoor works themed around water and several architectural interventions indoors.

Place d'Armes, 78000 Versailles, France


Shingle-covered udders that dispense wine

p15-barreau-et-charbonnet-and-metalobil-royal-bbbey-of-fontevraud-france_dezeen_sqa

More than 2,000 litres of wine and apple juice are being dispensed from giant "udders" designed by French studios Barreau et Charbonnet and Metalobil at a vineyard in Pays de la Loire.

The installation, which is on site until 4 November, consists of five conical vessels suspended within bays in the building's former kitchen. Reminiscent of the abbey's scaled spires, the six-metre-tall structures are covered in thousands of pointed pine shingles.

Royal Abbey of Fontevraud, 49590 Fontevraud-l'Abbaye, France


This year's Serpentine pavilion by BIG

serpentine-gallery-pavilion-2016-bjarke-ingels_dezeen_936_5-468x468

BIG founder Bjarke Ingels' Serpentine Gallery Pavilion is made of a wall of translucent blocks that have been "unzipped" to create a curving, cavernous interior.

As part of the gallery's annual Park Nights programme, the pavilion will host evening events, including performances of music, film, dance and literature.

Alongside BIG's pavilion are four smaller summer houses that reference Queen Caroline's Temple in Kensington Gardens, designed by architect William Kent in the early 18th century. All the pavilions will remain on site until 9 October.

Serpentine Galleries, Kensington Gardens, London W2 3XA


A floating path over an Italian lake by Christo

floating-piers-christo-lake-iseo-italy-june-2016-orange-yellow-fabric-birds-eye_dezeen_sq2-468x468

Bulgarian artist Christo has used three kilometres of saffron-coloured pathways to temporarily connect the shore of Italy's Lake Iseo to islands at its centre.

The Floating Piers will stretch across the lake until 3 July, during which time visitors can walk from Sulzano on the lake's eastern edge to the island of Monte Isola. They can also use two paths to reach the islet of San Paolo, which is encircled by the pontoons.

Lake Iseo, Lomboardy, Italy


A robotically woven carbon-fibre pavilion

elytra-filament-pavilion-achim-menges-v-and-a-victoria-albert-museum-3d-printing-wings-flying-beetles_dezeen_sq2-468x468

A robotically woven carbon-fibre pavilion erected in the courtyard of London's V&A museum will be in place until 6 November as part of a season of engineering events.

The programme will include the first major retrospective of Ove Arup, the 20th-century engineer behind the Arup group. It will also highlight projects by British engineering firms including AKT II, Atelier One, Buro Happold, Expedition Engineering and Jane Wernick Associates.

Victoria and Albert Museum, Cromwell Road, London, SW7 2RL


A river of floating steel balls in the grounds of an iconic building

narcissus-garden-yayoi-kusama-glass-house-philip-johnson-sculpture-installation-mirror-spheres-floating-water_dezeen_sq1-468x468

An installation by Japanese artist Yayoi Kusama originally created for the 1966 Venice Biennale is on show near Philip Johnson's iconic Glass House in Connecticut until 30 November.

Titled Narcissus Garden, the installation consists of 1,300 steel spheres that float on the surface of a pond. The balls have been placed in an area of Johnson's Glass House estate in New Canaan called the Lower Meadow, in front of a pavilion designed by the architect close to the his famed 1949 glass-walled house.

199 Elm St, New Canaan, CT 06840, United States