MYCELIUM PAVILION April, 2022 SCULPTURAL SPACE SUSTAINABLE MATERIAL INNOVATIVE CO-CREATION CAMBRIDGE FESTIVAL Cambridge School of Visual & Performing Arts
Photo and Project by Tobias Fretwell - Mycobloc Stool
What Mycelium?is
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a fast-growing biomaterial that is lightweight, high strength, low carbon and is already growing around and under our feet.
By the employment of fungal mycelium as the main transformative and cohesive agent for valorising organic residues deriving from other production processes, the project allows for the creation of visionary narratives through tangible artefacts. Functioning as a conversation piece, such unique pieces open the gate to criticism and reflections related to the eco-systemic interdependence, production methodologies, regenerative systems, the advent of responsible biofabricated materials and all the further deriving implications within the design and architectural practices.
Mushroom-forming basidiomycetes are highly attractive due to their tendency of growing on a wide variety of substrates (e.g. agricultural waste or coffee grounds), with the potential of converting waste products into novel compounds, characterised by diverse qualities, depending on the species and on the growth parameters. In fact, it is possible to develop materials with peculiar properties, as for instance in relation to strength, elasticity, thickness, homogeneity, and water repellency.
Mycelium is the fast-growing, vegetative part of fungi, consisting of a tight network of interconnected filamentous cells, called hyphae.
Thanks to such structure, Mycelium is capable of harvesting, transforming and re-distributing nutrients, both for its own benefit (mushroom growth) and for the larger ecosystem.
Mycelium is the root-like structure that extends out of fungi and underneath the outer layer of the cap of mushrooms. It is also the name for a bio-engineered form of hyphae, that when mixed with material such as agricultural waste, acts as a binding agent.
“Building on Mycelium”- Avans University of Applied Science MycoWorks Biotechnology company
Over the course of days, the mycelium and the upper layer dry out. This thought-provoking initiative highlights certain aspects that the construction world should reflect on in order to finally embrace principles of sustainability and low environmental impact.
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Climate change and the depletion of the world’s raw materials are commonly acknowledged as the biggest societal challenge. Mycelium biocomposites have a high potential to replace traditional fossil-based building Myceliummaterials.isthe‘root network’ of mushrooms, which acts as a natural glue to bind biomass. It grows through the biomass, which functions simultaneously as a growth substrate and a biocomposite matrix. Different organic residual material such as hemp shells, toilet paper residues or other agricultural waste can be used as substrate. Therefore, mycelium biocomposites are totally natural, non-toxic, biological materials which can be grown locally and can be composted after usage. Every living thing should be subject to a life cycle and this should also apply to the structures that house us. The aim is to make people think about the need for biodegradable architecture, which espouses certain concepts of biology.
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Merlin Sheldrake, author of ‘Entangled Life’, observes that mycelium, ‘should be thought of more as a process than as a thing, the concrete representation of the main characteristic of fungi: the tendency to explore and proliferate’. And indeed, through mycelial lattices, fungi travel, expand, create connections, transport water, nutrients and, one begins to think, even information. Depending on the characteristics of the fungus species, the substrate used, and the given environmental and growth conditions, biomaterials with characteristics similar to plastic, rubber, wood, paper, cork, leather or foam (polyethylene foam) used for packaging can be obtained. The sky is the limit. When you deal with mushrooms you can really do anything.
The Mycelium Pavilion was born from the idea of creating an exhibition for the Cambridge Festival 2022 that would inform the public and visitors about the new innovative, sustainable and malleable material that is Mycelium.
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The intention is to show, through a hypothetical “chain of rings” made of mycelium, a dynamic and fluid installation with which the public can interact, enabling greater understanding of the malleability and functionality of mycelium. These joint qualities offer the possibility of creating a dynamic and engaging structure with an innovative and unexpected design. This required a rigorous process of material experimentation and aesthetic innovation. The ultimate aim in showcasing the pavilion was to bring mycelial knowledge to the general public in an experiential way, suggesting that an environmentally viable future is palpable.
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Starting from a structure with a simple geometry, making use of the fluidity and flexibility of the material to wrap the structure in a ‘veil’ of mycelium, creating an organic appearance that changes appearance as visitors move through the site, to create an abstract object that accommodates multiple readings.
Finally, a vertical structure designed from a grid was created. The sculpture make use of a circular template to create a ‘chain’ that rests on the wooden supporting Itstructure.isstrong yet flexible like fabric, and thanks to the mycelium chain, the interconnected rings will create movement and flow. Considering the clear basic geometry as the supporting structure, the installation is wrapped in a “nebula”, a flexible veil of mycelium.
-Merlin Sheldrake ‘Entangled Life’
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When we got closer, the spots and the natural aspects of mycelium were beautiful: they formed a kind of organic skin with a uniform and natural texture. Thinking about it, we found it fascinating how fungi challenge our concepts of individuality and even intelligence. Fungi can change our minds, heal our bodies and even help us remedy environmental disaster. By examining fungi, we were fascinated by the relationships that arise between humans and organisms.
The shape of the mycelium, however, is changing...constantly myceliumofentirelymadecolumnaofconstruction
The roughness and natural appearance give the material its own distinctive identity. By showing the material’s raw, natural attributes, the pavilion ended up with a unique structure, colour and organicity. The growing pavilion promoTes a new aesTheTic ThaT gives T a unique and beauTiful idenT T y
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This versatility of this material allows it to be used in different production processes
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Having expereinced the the installation, the curious spectator can walk all around it, seeing the different heights of the structure developed vertically and connected with as many timbers horizontally. At the apex of the pavilion there is a space where the spectator can ‘enter’ and become involved with the work to see the different perspectives. With the veil of rings leaning against the structure, looking upwards one can see the contrast created between the mycelium and the timber frames. The pavilion shows what is already possible, but also what the near future will bring. However, it takes more than good materials to make large-scale applications possible.
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Using these organisms reveal these extraordinary entities, and our relationships with them, are changing our understanding of how life works.
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Isn’t it strange to think that, at its most basic, we are talking about Mushroomsmushrooms?.are just fruiting bodies, analogous to apples on a tree. Most fungi live out of sight but constitute an enormously diverse kingdom of organisms that support and sustain almost all living systems. The more we learn abouT fungi, The less sense T makes wiThouT Them
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Most bio-based materials, such as Mycelium, are still too often perceived as mearly beautiful and environmentally friendly alternatives to conventional materials. But why aren’t bio-based materials also seen as better, smarter, more original and healthier alternatives to what we already know? We believe that innovative designs and applications of these materials are needed, as well as a recognisable and acknowledged identity for them. So, what needs to be done is to promote this power as an identity.
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“show oTher wonders of fungi, especially where They challenge our undersTanding of non human inTelligence and expand The noTion of biological individualiT y [...]” (Zoë schlanger -2021).
By cladding the pavilion with a long chain of Mycelium rings, we showcased the beauty and power of the construction; demonstrating to visitors the functionality and materiality of mycelium itself.
The pavilion project is not only a collaboration between a group of spatial designers, but also a collaboration with a non-human agency a microbial scale.
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The Mycelium Pavilion was constructed in two parts: the vertical timber structure resembles the idea of the forest and provides support to a cascade of mycelium rings, linked to form an interconnected veil.
RAIN WU Artist and info@rainwu.net@rainwu_architect ANDREA GALIMBERTI Interior and spatial a.galimbe@gmail.com@andreaproject_designsdesigner ALEKSANDRA KIM Art and architecture kimaleksandra@yahoo.comstudent MIKHAIL NIKOLAEV Art and architecture mikhailnikolaev86@gmail.comstudent Art direction and design: Andrea Galimberti go to video