Crafted in collaboration with master ceramicists in Belgium, the textured ceramic Split Face Planters are cast from a single mold and then meticulously hand-carved and sculpted for a one-of-a-kind aesthetic.
Rethinking The Future Awards 2026
First Award | Furniture Design (Built)
Project Name: Split Face Planters
Category: Furniture Design (Built)
Studio Name: Rottet Collection
Design Team: Lauren Rottet
Area: USA
Year: 2025
Location: Houston
Consultants: N/A
Photography Credits: Pernille Loof, Tomaso Lisca and Luca Argenton (dark shot)
Render Credits: Rottet Collection
Other Credits: N/A
They are available in warm white or warm gray and accented with a painted bronze metallic glaze that commands attention. Envisioned as a pair of monumental artifacts reminiscent of a rich ancient society, when paired together the planters make a larger-than-life statement as they tower overhead at 213cm high, reflecting the sun and casting dramatic shadows across their environment. They also come in a 91cm-high size.
The Split Face Planters are hybrid sculptural vessels designed to offer a mirror to the self and to nature. “My work is about manipulating perception through light, form, texture and color, like the Light and Space artists installations I experienced as a child,” says the designer. “I strive to animate interiors in the same way the outdoors is animated with shadows, movement and constant visual change so no two moments are ever the same.”
“I think of design like writing a musical score where notes crescendo into moments of visual intensity then quiet and calm. Post COVID, attempting to create the comfortable, relaxed, open feeling of outdoors, I began to think more about nature and realized that as humans we make rectangles as they are easily understood and made with the tools we have, but there are no rectangles in nature.”
“This led to the exploration of natural shapes and forms. The Split Face Planters is a clay form where the back is curved appearing like rammed earth and the front is sliced and metallic. The metallic reflection, a special painted bronze metallic glaze I specifically sourced, allows one to see their reflection in the planters while walking toward them creating the perception of walking into and bonding with nature.” This is unique.
They were first displayed at Salone and then at the Newport Art Museum in Rhode Island. They are available in two sizes, Large: W 62cm x D 85cm x H 213cm and X-Large: W 70cm x D 70cm x H 91cm.
Each planter is made using molds and then meticulously hand-carved and sculpted by master craftspeople, creating unique textures and a one-of-a-kind aesthetic.
Crafted from high-quality clay sourced from various regions of Germany and undergoing a specialized firing process at 1200°C, the planters are built to last a lifetime.
The high firing temperatures and low porosity (approximately 3%) ensure the clay can withstand harsh weather, including frost, making them suitable for year-round outdoor use. Proper drainage is crucial for frost resistance, achieved through built-in drainage holes and the use of rubber feet. The clay bodies, colored with natural oxides, maintain chromatic consistency and resist damage from continuous exposure to UV rays and humidity.
