Building on the success of her exhibit at Alcova Milano during Milan Design Week 2024, Turkish interior architect and designer Sema Topaloglu continued her collaboration with the renowned international platform by unveiling The Nonconformist Tropical Garden - an evolution of her original installation showcased earlier last year

Sema Topaloglu studied landscape architecture in Ankara, Turkey. Later, she moved to Belgium, where she expanded her expertise through various creative workshops and experiences at interior design studios and ateliers in Brussels. Here, she seamlessly integrated her design philosophy with the city’s deep-rooted craft traditions. Known for her high-energy personality and boundless enthusiasm, Topaloglu channels her passion for natural forms, spatial design, and a profound connection to materials and craftsmanship into every aspect of her work.

Topaloglu is renowned for her passionate exploration of materials and a distinctive design philosophy that merges her creative vision with the rich craft heritage of Istanbul, home to her studio and network of collaborators. Over the years, she has built a close-knit community of master artisans - specializing in metalwork, glasswork, brass and bronze casting, carpentry, and furniture making - who work together in an atmosphere of experimental synergy. Topaloglu’s design process mirrors that of an artist. Her work probes the interplay between materials, exploring tactile and visual relationships, surface dynamics, simplicity, and craftsmanship. This methodology emphasizes an aesthetic of raw, exposed materials - such as hand-crafted wood and steel. The results are intricately layered, sensory-rich interiors, art installations, sculptures and furniture, each meticulously curated as a complete work of art. Her distinctive aesthetic vocabulary captures the city’s combination of eastern and western design traditions.

The difficulty in categorizing Topaloglu’s work stems from her nonconformist ethos. While her studio is based in a city that geographically bridges East and West, she resists being defined by any specific local style. Instead, she draws inspiration from her own emotions and experiences, often exploring themes of play, passion, and love. Her fascination with these ideas is particularly evident in her experiments with glass, where she seeks to redefine its artistic and functional possibilities.

Thus, The Nonconformist Tropical Garden comes to life - a garden of glass that shifts between kaleidoscopic vibrancy and dreamlike serenity. It features lush, blooming forms: grass-like flowers, intricate shapes, and vivid colors that evoke everything from delicate candies to carnivorous plants. These tangible dreamscapes were all unveiled at Alcova Miami 2024, housed within one of the River Inn’s bedrooms. Expanding on the original concept from Milan Design Week, the installation grows beyond the bed, much like climbing vines, to envelop the entire room. It transforms everyday objects—the side table, hanger, toothbrush, soap dispenser, and breakfast nook—into elements of an indoor tropical oasis, where visitors can bask in its warming atmosphere. Through this setting, Topaloglu celebrates her deep connection to nature, plants, animals, and the essence of life itself, channeling a sense of flowing energy that unites all creatures.

It is the skillful fusion of diverse materials that animates Topaloglu’s theatrical compositions. In her work, nature takes on new forms as glass blends with bronze and brass to create cabinets, coffee tables, and lamps. Each piece in the collection retains the dreamlike quality of the installation, while being adapted for domestic spaces. “The Nonconformist Tropical Garden is an invitation to wander through the labyrinth of my imagination. Here, nature and color intertwine with my passion for fashion and jewelry, in a perennial exploration of the limitless possibilities of glass. Following an always instinctive approach, this material becomes my canvas for the unexpected” Topaloglu states.