Architect: SO-IL (Solid Objectives – Idenburg Liu)
Area: Approx. 418 m² / Approx. 4500 ft²
Year: 2019
Photography: Hadley Fruits for Exhibit Columbus
Video Credit: Spirit of Space for Exhibit Columbus
Program: Site-specific, temporary installation
Team: Jing Liu, Sophie Nichols, Francesca Maffeis
City: Columbus, Indiana
Country: United States

“Into the Hedge,” a temporary landmark designed by SO-IL in Columbus, Indiana, reinterprets the iconic Arbor Vitae hedgerow at the Miller House and Garden. As part of the 2019 Exhibit Columbus, the project involved a large hammock structure holding 130 Arbor Vitae trees. These trees will be replanted in the garden after the exhibition, contributing to the preservation of one of Columbus’ National Historic Landmarks. The design emphasizes sustainable material use, with all components repurposed after the installation.

Into the Hedge Temporary Landmark / SO-IL

SO-IL, one of the J. Irwin and Xenia S. Miller Prize recipients in the second edition of Exhibit Columbus, undertook a preservation project at the Miller House and Garden, transforming it into a temporary landmark in Columbus, Indiana. The Arbor Vitae hedgerow at the Miller Garden is an iconic feature of modern landscape architecture. While the glass walls of Saarinen’s Miller House blur the boundary between inside and outside, the dense hedgerow at the site’s perimeter firmly defines the separation between the public streets and the private grounds of the Miller residence.

With the 70-year-old Arbor Vitae trees approaching the end of their lifespan, the project provided an opportunity to explore a different and more engaging relationship with this landscape feature. In partnership with the Miller House and Garden, SO-IL sourced 130 living Arbor Vitae trees, which were arranged within a large hammock structure positioned on the lawn of the Bartholomew County Courthouse.

Once the exhibition concludes, these trees will be permanently replanted in the Miller Garden, directly linking the installation’s conceptual origin to the ongoing preservation of one of Columbus, Indiana’s seven National Historic Landmarks. The oversized hammock, handmade with nylon webbing, features a color inspired by Alexander Girard’s palette for the Miller House dining chairs. The installation was completed in August 2019.

SO-IL collaborated with People for Urban Progress, based in Indianapolis, to repurpose the hammock’s netting into handbags, totes, and beach bags. The remaining installation components, consisting of simple, off-the-shelf agricultural and construction materials, were chosen for their ability to be sustainably reused.

The gabions, mulch, limestone, and stakes used to form planters and the central pathway will be recycled into local infrastructure projects. “Into the Hedge” offers a critical rethinking of preservation and material reuse, temporarily reorganizing familiar local construction and landscape elements into a unique, immersive experience and a striking temporary landmark for the community.