I’ve always been fascinated by Switzerland

Interview

I’ve always been fascinated by Switzerland

Since founding his studio “Atelier Pouzet“, Daniel Pouzet has sought cultural diversity in all artistic fields – between design, architecture, interior design and artistic installations. His projects are spread all over the world between Asia, Africa, Europe, the United States and Latin America. They represent a search for contextual responses with soul, artistic sensitivity and a dialogue between the local and creativity that transcends conventional boundaries. The result can be seen: Surprise, lightness and quality of living spaces. In winter 2020/2021, Daniel supported the renovation plans at Hotel Giardino Ascona, creating a new oasis of wellness from the lobby to the pool terrace.

Daniel, when you first entered the hotel Giardino Ascona, what were your very first thoughts?
I was really surprised by the “heaven of peace” feeling. The mixed styles give life to the hotel and its organization around the central water pond, terraces, pool and garden make you feel good instantly. I was also amazed that mid of September a hotel can be fully booked but there are good reasons for this. The living environment and the hotel’s services are just perfect.

Ticino links Italian “Dolce Vita” and Swiss lifestyle. What do you personally associate with the region and Ascona in particular?
I’ve always been fascinated by Switzerland, but what I knew was completely different than to what I discovered in Ascona. For me discovering Giardino meant – the first time at the Lago Maggiore, and Ascona. I did not imagine Switzerland this way. It is really a mediterranean microclimate and Dolce Vita. With the Alpes covered on snow as a background it is more than a post card. Palm trees projected on snow mountains are a beautiful image for me.

You say about yourself you seek cultural diversity in all artistic fields. How will you express this diversity in Giardino Ascona?
I like to talk about artistic fields as I don’t consider myself an architect. Even if I am graduated twice as an architect, my professional experience and specially my life’s paths brought me into interior architecture, industrial design, art installations, graphism, illustrations. But it specially made me discover the world and seek the inspiration in nature’s infinity and people’s culture. I always wanted to break the limits between fields so in all my projects I start by architecture and end making illustrations, paintings. Here the diversity is not as much about Ascona, the city but its nature, climate and Dolce Vita, outdoor living. My first surprise here were the palm trees and the surprising vegetation, so this was the starting point.

What inspired you for the floral design of this project?
The “Giardino” is an endless source of inspiration. You can play with this in so many ways…What we did here is a short intervention of refreshing but keeping the project’s soul. It is also about lightness in this intervention, so nature has interpretations all around.

What significance do colors have for you?
Colors are life, I like to play around colors. Here at the Giardino, the existing colors are quite strong, the oranges, yellows, terracottas are very present, so we just came with mostly whites and light beiges and let the nature’s happy greens take over everything.

A signature talent of yours is carpet painting. Where does this technique origin in and why do you apply it in Giardino Ascona?
It is my wife, Marilena who came with this idea some 10 years ago. She is an artist, so she is the carpet’s creator. Every time this is possible, we work together on the projects. We’ve started the carpets story in the Philippines at Nay Palad resort in Siargao and it has been so much appreciated it never stopped since. We’ve just finished painting them at Giardino and I must admit it is much more physical than what it seems – but such a pleasure to share these moments in family.

What do you do for recreation and regeneration? Anything one would not expect?
Spending time with my family, hiking, traveling. But traveling in a different way than holidays. For example, we’ve traveled for 3 years around the world from Alaska to Ushuaia in a “Wohnmobile” homeschooling our kids, discovering the world, nature and the local cultures. Taking the freedom of not having a schedule, deeply enjoying life. And since then, it has always been for me an endless inspiration