Borges Labyrinth on Venice's San Giorgio Maggiore reopens after full restoration
The boxwood maze designed by Randoll Coate in tribute to Jorge Luis Borges, first planted on the Venetian island in 2011, has been fully restored with funding from PwC Italia. The hedges, arranged to spell Borges' surname and evoke symbols like a question mark and a cane, form the shape of an open book within a steel frame at the Giorgio Cini Foundation.
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Living installations like boxwood mazes require constant upkeep since plants grow, die and shift shape, making restoration essential to preserving the artist's original design intent decades later. The reopening also underscores how corporate sponsorship increasingly sustains cultural landmarks tied to literary heritage, keeping tributes like this one accessible to new generations of visitors.
- The maze, designed by Randoll Coate, honors Jorge Luis Borges and was first built in Venice in 2011.
- PwC Italia funded the full restoration of the living boxwood installation at the Giorgio Cini Foundation.
- The design forms an open book shape embedding Borges' name and symbolic imagery like eyes and a cane.
Labyrinths" by Jorge Luis Borges (New Directions) — This classic collection gathers 'The Garden of Forking Paths' — the very story that inspired the Venice labyrinth — alongside Borges' most famous fictions and essays. It's the perfect companion for anyone who wants to wander the maze on the page before visiting San Giorgio Maggiore.
See Labyrinths" by Jorge Luis Borges (New Directions) on Amazon → Affiliate link — we may earn a commission on purchases, at no extra cost to you. Product picked by AI based on this article; it is not a tested recommendation.Source: wallpaper.com — Thea Hawlin, 2026-08-28
Published there as: “Borges Labyrinth in Venice reopens to the public”
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