The Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew in London’s south-west town of Richmond, home to an incredibly diverse collection of living and preserved plants from around the globe, has a new garden on its vast grounds – a Carbon Garden that showcases the essential role played by plants and fungi in tackling climate change.
At its heart, rising from the ground surrounded by perfectly planted flowers, shrubs and trees is a pavilion designed by Mizzi Studio – the centrepiece of Kew’s newest garden that has been three years in the making.
“We are delighted to share that our Carbon Pavilion, centrepiece of the new Carbon Garden at the world-renowned Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew in London opened to visitors on July 25th,” shared Mizzi Studio, founded by architect Jonathan Mizzi. “It has been a privilege to work with the incredible team on such an ambitious, timely and hopeful project.”
“We were commissioned by Kew to create the pavilion; a sculptural structure that rises from the earth like a symbolic fungal fruiting body,” the studio explains.
“Not quite a mushroom, not quite a tree, but a biomorphic structure inspired by the underground fungal network – the mycorrhizal systems that connect and nourish plant life.”
The pavilion was crafted from natural materials and shaped to respond to light and growth, evoking the ecologies hidden in the earth beneath our feet – and further solidifying the studio’s commitment towards sustainable and environmentally-conscious design.
“Our studio’s work seeks to rebuild our connection with nature, through projects that breathe, evolve and give back to the environment. In our architectural projects, we draw on biomimicry, regenerative design, and natural forms to create spaces that feel alive.”
Richard Wilford, Head of Garden Design at Kew Gardens, noted it took “great team effort to get it completed on time. Planting looks amazing considering the heatwaves and drought we have already experienced this summer.”
“The central pavilion by Mizzi Studio fits beautifully into the landscape, complementing the plants around and built using sustainable materials.”
The Carbon Garden, a living, breathing landscape, brings into focus the critical role carbon plays in sustaining life on Earth against the backdrop of a worsening climate crisis – while sharing the potential of the natural world to combat it.
Main photo courtesy of Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew
