Belgium

The climate crisis questions the relationship between architecture and nature. In the exhibition Building Biospheres, landscape architect Bas Smets and neurobiologist Stefano Mancuso investigate how the natural intelligence of plants can be used to produce an indoor climate. For six months, the Belgian Pavilion will serve as a prototype for this innovative research. The exhibition seeks a symbiosis between what the plants need, what the building can handle, and what people desire. Historically, architecture has protected us from external weather conditions. Through the creation of indoor climates, we have isolated ourselves from the natural world. Building Biospheres explores how plant intelligence can help produce microclimates within buildings. The plants cool the place, regulate humidity, produce oxygen and absorb carbon dioxide, transforming the building into its own biosphere.