The interior landscape of this beautiful light-filled space is designed with intentional plantings to complement the interior architecture, creating a serene environment that feels natural and lush. We leaned heavily on ferns to to bring elements of the outside in. We also selected plants with air-purifying effects, including various fern species and Ficus elastica, which are known to help improve air quality by absorbing toxins. Overall, we focused on creating cohesive groupings of foliage that form pockets of nature and curiosity - and the kokedama installation throughout the skybridge is the ultimate expression of this goal.

Kokedama, translated simply as “moss ball”, originated in Japan as part of a centuries-old Japanese gardening practice known as "nearai," which translates to "root wash." Nearai was a style of bonsai in which a tree's roots were cleaned and planted in a pot without soil, creating an environment where the roots would eventually attach themselves to the pot. Kokedama itself is thought to have been developed during the Edo period (1603–1868) as a more accessible way for people outside the upper class to enjoy the art of bonsai, avoiding the need to purchase expensive pots.

Kokedamas have gained popularity in connection to wabi-sabi, a Japanese aesthetic philosophy centered on the acceptance of imperfection and transience, appreciating and uplifting beauty that is “imperfect, impermanent, and incomplete” in nature. An appreciation of the wear and tear that comes with existing over time, and the richness of beauty expressed in that.

I’ve always been drawn to kokedamas for this - the organic shapes of the moss, the relaxed and sculptural growth of the plants that emerge, playing with angles and shapes and curves to build something that feels natural. I had originally suggested them for a different part of the lobby at the RRHC, but it felt right to include them in the skybridge as the entrance and exit to the space - to provide something for visitors to rest their eyes on and observe, potentially over a period of time, as they grow and shift. Inherently transient and beautiful.