Yuzu Garden is conceived as a small scale, introspective garden within a large hotel complex, offering a more intimate spatial setting for meditation, collective gatherings and personal retreat.

Yuzu Garden is a signature, brand oriented landscape architectural project realized at Paloma Finesse Hotel by YUZU founder and editor in chief Onur Baştürk, and designed and constructed by TTds | Tülay Tosun Design Studio. The use of natural materials, botanical diversity and a harmony driven approach allows visitors to establish both visual and emotional connections with the space. The project was also featured in YUZU Magazine Volume IV Summer 2021, reinforcing its cultural and visual presence within the publishing field.

Centered around meditation, calmness and individual awareness, the garden transforms YUZU’s sensory world into a spatial experience. Natural stone, gravel, lawn surfaces, sculptural rocks and a rich planting palette come together to form a rhythmic and contemplative environment.

The site was previously used as a lawn area. During implementation, the removed turf was handed over to the hotel’s maintenance team, while the excavated soil was reused on site to form soft topographical hills. These landforms define the boundaries of the garden through natural transitions rather than rigid edges, introducing depth, enclosure and a gradual spatial experience.
Upon entering the garden, visitors are welcomed by a strong planting composition composed of Chamaerops humilis, Cycas revoluta, Phoenix roebelenii, Archontophoenix and Agapanthus. Different leaf forms, vertical accents and dense green textures come together to create a strong first visual layer, immediately evoking a sense of discovery.

At the center of the garden, Ficus australis is positioned as a strong botanical focal point. As a tree of life symbolizing birth, life and death, it acts not only as a visual anchor but also as the conceptual core of the space. Together with surrounding rocks and planting masses, it guides visitors toward the center, creating a threshold like spatial condition and a moment of pause.
The project is structured through layered sensory and emotional experiences. Seeing, tasting, admiring, solitude and pausing define different moments within the garden. Each is designed to slow down the visitor and deepen the relationship between perception and space.

The aromatic planting palette is enriched with species such as Thymus vulgaris, Salvia officinalis, Rosmarinus officinalis, Cymbopogon citratus, Lavandula angustifolia, Origanum vulgare, Thymbra spicata, Ocimum basilicum and Santolina chamaecyparissus, along with Hyssopus officinalis, Lippia citriodora, Plectranthus madagascariensis, Pelargonium graveolens, Mentha piperita and Origanum syriacum. These species enhance the sensory experience through scent, touch and close observation, while their proximity to the bar and restaurant allows them to be directly integrated into culinary production.
The admiring moment is defined by sculptural planting compositions centered around vertical cacti. The strong silhouettes of these elements, combined with the contrast between gravel, lawn and stone surfaces, create an almost monumental presence within the landscape.
A more enclosed area introduces the experience of solitude, supported by a layered planting composition including Cycas, Chamaerops, Phoenix roebelenii, Blue Palm and existing Washingtonia robusta. Dense green layers with varying textures and heights allow visitors to briefly withdraw, pause and reconnect with the space.
In contrast, the pausing moment presents a more exploratory and unexpected landscape language. Composed of columnar cacti, Cylindropuntia species, Echinocactus grusonii and agaves, this arrangement emphasizes spiny textures, strong silhouettes and rock elements, creating a controlled sense of strangeness that stimulates curiosity.
Rather than relying on rigid geometries, the garden is defined by clear yet soft separations between planting beds, lawn and gravel surfaces. This approach ensures spatial clarity while maintaining a continuous and calm flow.

Yuzu Garden activates not only the senses of sight, scent, touch and taste, but also more introspective experiences such as solitude, observation and admiration. It offers a holistic landscape environment that invites visitors not only to observe, but to engage, slow down and reconnect through the space.

Landscape Architecture & Construction : TTds | Tülay Tosun Design Studio
Brand Owner: Onur Baştürk
Client: Ece Tonbul, Paloma Hotels
Area: 960 m²
Status: Completed, Constructed
Completion Year: 2021

Sorgun, Acısu Mevkii Sokak No: 24, 07601 Manavgat/Antalya