The Lava Garden draws its inspiration from the ground on which it sits. Located in the volcanic stone landscape, the modernist suburban neighbourhood planned by Mexican architect Luis Barragán in the mid-1940s. Today, many of the gardens have forgotten their relationship to the ancient ground, either by removing the lava layer or covering it with new soil to create large, flat lawns.

The garden project began with the desire to work with the dark, porous stone, allowing one to walk amidst lush vegetation and discover tiny paths or intimate platforms. By enriching the experience and introducing new uses for the space – such as observing and smelling the fruit trees, harvesting aromatic herbs, and tending to medicinal shrubs - the garden’s boundaries can therefore disappear.