Photo by Chris Lacey. All images © A Rothschild House and Garden and Atelier Joana Vasconcelos, courtesy of Waddesdon Manor, shared with permission
Nearly five years in the making, a 12-meter-high confectionary has emerged on the grounds of the sprawling in Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire. Portuguese artist () designed an enormous “Wedding Cake” pavilion to sit near the 19th-century Dairy, which was built by Baron Ferdinand de Rothschild to entertain guests, drawing on the location’s history of charming visitors and providing an architectural focal point within the expansive parkland.
“Wedding Cake” playfully avails itself of the architectural legacy of follies, a type of building constructed primarily for decoration, with famous examples like Marie Antoinette’s hamlet at or the in Scotland. Vasconcelos’ design was inspired by Baroque style, Waddesdon Manor’s reputation for events and hospitality, and the symbolism and traditions of the sweet treat through time.
Commissioned by the , the three-layered cake is clad entirely in ornate ceramic tiles, a craft tradition rooted in Vasconcelos’ home in Lisbon. Pâtisserie-worthy adornments like fish diving into shell bowls and corniced platforms complement lacy ironwork and pastel hues. Part sculpture and part building, the immersive installation invites visitors to walk up winding inner stairwells and traipse around the tiers.
See more of the artist’s work on her and . (via )
Photo by Chris Lacey
Left: Photo by Lionel Balteiro. Right: Photo by Chris Lacey
Photo by Lionel Balteiro
Photo by Chris Lacey
Photo by Lionel Balteiro
Photo by Chris Lacey
Photo by Chris Lacey
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