Amazing Gardens and Glass

07/15/2025 | Eco Garden Network | Garden Joyride

I had the most amazing experience with my son in Seattle Washington. I wanted to share the journey. All the photos are mine from the day of our tour. My photos won’t do the colors justice, so hopefully it will inspire you to visit it yourself.

Dale Chihuly

Born in 1941 in Tacoma, Washington, Dale Chihuly was introduced to glass while studying interior design at the University of Washington. After graduating in 1965, Chihuly enrolled in the first glass program in the country, at the University of Wisconsin. He continued his studies at the Rhode Island School of Design (RISD), where he later established the glass program and taught for more than a decade.

In 1968, after receiving a Fulbright Fellowship, he went to work at the Venini glass factory in Venice. There he observed the team approach to blowing glass, which is critical to the way he works today. In 1971, Chihuly cofounded Pilchuck Glass School in Washington State. With this international glass center, Chihuly has led the avant-garde in the development of glass as a fine art. Chihuly Garden and Glass, a long-term exhibition, opened at Seattle Center in 2012.

EMBRACING THE VIBRANCY OF THE ARTS IN THE COMMUNITY

Since Seattle hosted the World’s Fair in 1962, the Seattle Center has remained an integral part of the local community. The iconic Space Needle is an important reminder of the dreams of that time.

When the opportunity to reinvigorate Seattle Center arose, Having always loved the Space Needle, Chihuly was delighted with the opportunity to design an Exhibition Hall, a Garden installation and a Glasshouse in his own community.

Garden

Chihuly has shown his artwork in botanical gardens all over the world, but this was his first time working with a landscape designer to create a space unlike that of any garden or exhibition elsewhere. The unique plant collection is specially chosen to complement Chihuly’s work, and the striking colors and forms of the trees, plants, and flowers create a rich backdrop for the art. With an ever-changing, lush landscape, those who visit will enjoy a distinct experience with each new season.

The project features three primary components: the Garden, the Glasshouse, and the Interior Exhibits, with significant secondary spaces including a 90-seat café with additional outdoor dining, a 50-seat multi-use theater and lecture space, retail and lobby spaces, and extensive public site enhancements beyond the Garden. The 100-foot-long installation inside of the Glasshouse is one of Chihuly’s largest suspended sculptures.