The Green Metropolis by CarolineBreunesse

The Green Metropolis A NEW EXHIBITION ABOUT NATURE, ARCHITECTURE AND COUTURE

We are proud to present a new initiative: The Green Metropolis, an inspiring exhibition, produced by leading experts in the field of couture, architecture and nature. The project is due to be launched in Amsterdam in 2021, before setting out on a world tour. The Green Metropolis is more than just an exhibition. The project also involves a workshop, debate centre and laboratory, where multidisciplinary teams of talented young people will work together to find solutions to the major problems of the future: climate change, rising sea levels, global warming, poverty and the polluting methods of production for food, clothing and housing. We are deeply concerned about the impact of this way of life for our planet, for biodiversity and for ourselves. In The Green Metropolis, we will address these themes by considering nature, architecture and couture. Three topflight institutions from the Netherlands will demonstrate their vision, and invite young professionals, scientists and creatives to join them, based on our belief in the innovative power of people and their desire and determination to do better. That sense of determination is now more important than it has ever been. Edwin van Huis, Naturalis Biodiversity Center Winy Maas, MVRDV The Why Factory (Delft University of Technology) Iris van Herpen November 2020

Summary The Green Metropolis is a unique concept that combines elements of a museum, a laboratory, a workshop and a centre for debate with the aim of tackling the enormous questions posed by the climate crisis and the biodiversity crisis. The multiyear programme will be launched in the winter of 2021 at a brand-new location in the heart of Amsterdam’s business center: Valley. This building was designed by Winy Maas, founder of MVRDV architects and director of The Why Factory (Delft University of Technology). The Green Metropolis will operate at the intersection of nature, urban planning & architecture and haute couture. It is a collaboration between Naturalis Biodiversity Center, MVRDV architects together with The Why Factory and artist and haute-couture designer Iris van Herpen. Following its launch in Amsterdam, the programme will travel as a total concept to business centres in various countries around the globe, to question the very essence of the infrastructure of the capitalist system. Other project partners include the Amsterdam Sustainability Institute Amsterdam / VU University Amsterdam, the TextielMuseum and TextielLab from Tilburg and sustainable developer EDGE Technologies. The aim of The Green Metropolis is to encourage urgent and relevant societal developments. This will be achieved by taking the lead in realising real solutions for a more sustainable planet, in a versatile mix in which art, fashion, cultural heritage, nature and architecture are

given the space they need to reinvent themselves and to provide answers to current questions. For each of the contributors to The Green Metropolis, nature is more than merely a source of inspiration. The study of nature has led to the realisation that humanity will have no future, if we do not succeed in establishing a symbiotic relationship with our natural environment. The Green Metropolis project comprises three components: a traveling exhibition, a workshop and special event programming. This trinity of experiences will be offered at each location for six months, to a broad audience, and will prove especially attractive to young adults. The exhibition will display dresses designed by Iris van Herpen, futuristic designs from from MVRDV and The Why Factory and natural objects, which will all blend together to form a new ‘inclusive ecosystem’ that aims to turn the visitors into active viewers; ‘visitoractors’ as it were. In this world, inspired by nature, everything is interconnected yet has its own place. The workshop will constantly update the latest results from the debates and projects organised during the course of the exhibition. The results will remain behind at the exhibition location, where they will be safeguarded and further developed by local companies and universities. All in all, the project represents a powerful call to action. Our goal is to inspire and encourage people, especially from the younger generations, to actively participate in public life in these times of global environmental crisis.

Introduction We are living in the Anthropocene: an era in history in which humanity has had and continues to have a significant impact on our planet. We leave our mark in everything we do; from the methods of food production through to transport, from the way we maintain our health to the way in which we live, work and dress. As a consequence, we are confronted by major issues on a daily basis, that underline the urgency of the green, sustainable (re)development and (re)design of our cities and our people. After all, without a healthy living environment, our entire planet will become uninhabitable. The energy, talents and problem-solving capacity of young adults must be the driving force behind the solutions we require today. The Green Metropolis is a unique partnership in which a spectrum of sectors will join forces to feed the dialogue with a wider audience, and to link up with partners in creating solutions that are truly effective. Our aim is to involve as many people as possible, and to help them feel that they too can be part of setting the new course that is needed to bring about a liveable planet. The Green Metropolis programme consists of three components that together act as one: 1. a traveling exhibition, aimed at a wider audience; 2. a workshop or incubator aimed at young adults, based at the location where the six-month exhibition will be established; 3. programming for a wider audience, but aimed specifically at young adults. Following its launch in Amsterdam, the programme will travel as a total concept to metropolitan business centres in other countries under the motto: business meets nature. These locations have been chosen as typical human conglomerates where the ingenuity that has arisen from the Anthropocene is concentrated, but where there are also significant downsides, in urgent need of transformation.

If the Earth has to accommodate ten billion people in the future, three quarters of them will live in cities. To meet that need, Winy Maas is a proponent of ‘the green dip’. Future cities should embrace nature. So no more bare concrete; instead, planting on every surface and allowing plants to overgrow buildings. “I dream that we can live on the rooftops.” WINY MAAS - MVRDV / THE WHY FACTORY

Redefining our world Humankind has managed to change the face to our planet so radically that its impact is visible as a geological era – the Anthropocene. We are the first species capable of causing our own extinction, while at the same time also bringing about the extinction of millions of other species of plants and animals, worldwide. The positive aspect of that incredible capability is that it also makes us the only species capable of preventing this catastrophe. By employing the same innovative power that has brought us to the brink of collapse and by deploying the same imagination and brainpower that characterises Homo sapiens, we can turn the tide. The partners of The Green Metropolis aim to redefine the Anthropocene by unveiling radically new design practices based on multidisciplinarity, operating in collaboration with nature. We also

aim to redefine the creative world, by bringing together elements that have traditionally remained separate: art and science, fashion and architecture, the natural and the artificial, the organic and the synthetic, micro and macro, body and buildings. We view ourselves as ‘material activists’ with the desire to reinvent the fields of fashion, art and architecture with the assistance of science. The buildings, installations, objects and garments we develop fit like a second skin, made of natural material: sturdy, flexible and versatile. We will explore a life in which our living environments are made up of substances that enjoy a positive relationship with nature, thereby bringing about new ecosystems. With The Green Metropolis, we will redefine our public spaces and create a totally new cultural and socio-economic context in which we can live together.

From left to right: design Winy Maas / The Why Factory / TU Delft // wood samples Naturalis // design Iris van Herpen 6

Nature is awesome. The variety of plant and animal species is breath taking. That same biodiversity is a prerequisite for life on our planet. We need the abundance of nature for food, medicines and energy. And for enjoyment! That same biodiversity, however, is under increasing pressure. NATURALIS BIODIVERSITY CENTER

The Green Metropolis is an inspiring exhibition, produced by leading experts in the field of couture, architecture and nature. The Green Metropolis aims to tackle the enormous questions posed by the climate crisis and the biodiversity crisis.

Our goal is to inspire and encourage people, especially from the younger generations, to actively participate in public life in these times of global environmental crisis. The energy, talents and problem-solving capacity of young adults must be the driving force behind the solutions we require today.

The Green Metropolis project comprises three components: a traveling exhibition, a workshop and special

We view ourselves as

‘material activists’

with the desire to reinvent the fields of fashion, art and architecture with the assistance of science.

We will explore a life in which our living environments are made up of substances that enjoy a

event programming. The exhibition will display dresses designed by Iris van Herpen, futuristic designs from MVRDV

positive relationship with nature, thereby bringing about new ecosystems.

and The Why Factory

and natural objects, which will all blend together to form a new ‘inclusive ecosystem’ that aims to turn the visitors into active viewers; ‘visitor-actors’ as it were.

The Green Metropolis is a unique partnership in which a spectrum of sectors will join forces to feed the dialogue with a wider audience, and to link up with partners in creating solutions that are truly effective.

It is a collaboration between Naturalis Biodiversity Center, MVRDV architects together with The Why Factory and artist and haute-couture designer Iris van Herpen. Other project partners include the Amsterdam Sustainability Institute Amsterdam / VU University Amsterdam, the TextielMuseum and TextielLab from Tilburg and sustainable developer EDGE Technologies.

With The Green Metropolis, we will redefine our public spaces and create a totally new cultural and socio-economic context in which we can live together. 7

In symbiosis with nature We see this exhibition as being a unique experimental multi-disciplinary project. For each of the parties involved in The Green Metropolis, nature is more than merely a source of inspiration. They study of nature has led to the realisation that humanity has no future if we fail to enter into a symbiotic relationship with our natural environment. There are concerns, but at the same time current developments are releasing a huge supply of energy that will actively contribute to a sustainable planet. Each partner in the project will operate according to its own discipline, but in close collaboration, to enable us to complement and strengthen one another. As a consequence, we will offer a different and innovative view of humankind and the Earth.

Naturalis Biodiversity Center For two centuries, Naturalis has been collecting and researching biodiversity worldwide and closer to home, with the aim of charting out its true extent. With more than 42 million objects in the national collection of the Netherlands, and 120 scientists working every day to describe, understand and preserve the abundance of nature, Naturalis is a leading player in the world of biodiversity research. It goes without saying that Naturalis, with its collection and the infinite scope of its knowledge, insights and references, is an inexhaustible source of inspiration for the makers of The Green Metropolis. During the process of designing the exhibition, the collection was extensively studied and the collection managers and scientists at Naturalis shared their knowledge about the various objects. Based on a variety of examples - from fungi to snails and from tropical rainforest to ocean environments – we have succeeded in merging object information with other disciplines, with surprising results. For visitors, the outcome is a series of completely new ways of looking at our living environment. Large numbers of collection items will be displayed and explained in the exhibition.

Iris van Herpen The participation of Iris van Herpen in The Green Metropolis represents a particularly valuable contribution. In the space of just ten years, Van Herpen has

The endless mysteries within nature have a huge influence on my work. I strive to use biomimicry to find the forces behind the forms in nature, and ways to re-sculpt the female form. Watching water move for example makes me feel insignificant as an artist; after all, nature itself is the most ingenious of artists. At the same time, nature’s metamorphoses are my muse in developing new forms of seduction and a more diverse and conscious vision on fashion for the future. IRIS VAN HERPEN

acquired global fame. Her dresses are worn by a mesmerising array of international celebrities on catwalks and on magazine covers. She is a member of the exclusive Federation de la Haute Couture et de la Mode and winner of the highest Dutch National Prize for the Arts, the Vermeer Award. Her work has been displayed and purchased by leading museums. Iris van Herpen is fascinated by the organic shapes and textures of nature. The work of the Dutch fashion designer is increasingly characterised by ‘hybrid forms’, in which art, nature and fashion converge. Her ambition goes far beyond clothing design; Van Herpen aims to address the way in which people view their relationship with the (un)natural environment. For The Green Metropolis exhibition, Iris van Herpen has selected a number of her most innovative designs, all inspired by nature and exploring the possibilities of natural materials. These dresses will be presented together with new work designed specially for the exhibition.

MVRDV / The Why Factory Winy Maas of MVRDV architects also sees nature as a great source of inspiration. Together with his brainchild The Why Factory, the work of Maas is focused on the ‘natural city of the future’, urban planning and global sustainability. Buildings designed by MVRDV can be found all over the world, and represent the best practises in architecture. The Why Factory (T?F) is a global think-tank and research institute led by professor Winy Maas. Its role is to explore possibilities for the development of our cities by focusing on the production of models and visualisations for the cities of the future. One of The Why Factory’s most important projects is the Green Dip. The term refers to the architectural strategies used to incorporate plants in buildings. The research stage starts with asking several questions: Why green? What are its capacities? How does green perform? How can green be integrated in our cities? If we hope to face up to the climate crisis, we must start by finding answers to some of the whats, whys and hows. The exhibition will feature several examples of the work of Winy Maas and The Why Factory. These will be blended with the work of Iris van Herpen, in an inspiring, immersive and innovative ecosystem. 9

The exhibition The Green Metropolis consists of three components: an exhibition, a workshop and event programming. This trinity of experiences will be offered at each location, for six months, and aimed at the general public, in particular young adults. Based on its inherent dynamism, the exhibition will have a traveling character, comprising a series of spaces that will cover different ‘worlds’. Each space will be focused on a single theme and a single material, explored from various angles: nature, haute couture and architecture. Together, the result will be a series of new ‘ecosystem experiences’ placed in a landscape, the like of which you have never seen before and of which you yourself become part. There will be spatial applications and installations, commissioned by artists, that will mark the intersection of art and nature, as well as wearable applications in fashion, explanations of the scientific background, audio and video presentations, real objects

from nature and much more. The overall effect will be to immerse the visitors to The Green Metropolis in a new world, inspired by nature; a hopeful vision of the future that is perhaps closer than we all think.

A different world The era in which this exhibition is being designed illustrates the urgent necessity and readiness of human society to achieve a paradigm shift. The entire world is in the grip of the COVID-19 pandemic. The scale of the pandemic has revealed just how closely our economies and societies are intertwined, a phenomenon that makes us especially vulnerable to disruption. The obstacles to our daily lives increase our awareness of patterns to which we have become inured, but which we are starting to question.

From left to right: Barba, life in a Fully Adaptable Environment, The Why Factory // Syntopia, Iris van Herpen 11

Against that background, all the built components have been designed in such a way that they are durable and easily transportable. The materials have been produced sustainably and as far as possible locally, wherever possible from reused resources. The exhibition itself will travel with the minimum possible CO2 emissions or subject to CO2 compensation.

New exhibition language

Garden of Earthly Delights, Jeroen Bosch

The design of the exhibition will of course take full account of the factors in society that have quickly become part of the ‘new reality’, such as social distancing and the wearing of protective facemasks. Nonetheless, we do want to enable visitors to interact with one another and to create a new ecosystem in which they can physically experience, feel, wear and explore innovative materials. A purely digital experience is not an option for us. The current physical limitations will help enhance the experience of this new way of life. The exhibition, the research work in the living laboratories and the programming of The Green Metropolis will open up these issues to discussion, in a most impressive manner. In designing the exhibition, we will not only take the current corona pandemic into account. In addition to the resulting economic crisis, the climate crisis is increasingly making its presence felt, too. Climate change is not only the main theme of the exhibition; it is also the leading element behind the design, the choice of building materials, the production process and the travel programme. After all, what could be more contradictory than an exhibition propagating the importance of combating climate change that itself actually contributes to that same process? 12

Iris van Herpen, Winy Maas and Naturalis represent a deep pool of expertise in creating spatial experiences. For The Green Metropolis, they are developing a new ‘exhibition language’ that will immerse the visitors in a tantalising experience. Visitors will become participants – almost residents - and will be fascinated by the way they are drawn into everything they see, smell, hear and feel around them. The mixture of materials, projections, objects, music, light and other sensory stimuli will transport them into an unprecedented ‘ecosystem’ of which they themselves form part. This approach is inspired by nature, where everything is interconnected and has its own role. The painting ‘The Garden of Earthly Delights’ by Hieronymus Bosch will form a beautiful rhyme image: in this wonderful world, humans and nature are brought together in a remarkable manner that appeals to the imagination, and is completely different from anything you have ever known, or could ever expect. It is this wonderful example of a completely new context that has inspired us to create The Green Metropolis. Another element that will contribute to the new exhibition language is the library, linked to the workshop. The library will house a multitude of materials to be seen and touched, as well as a wide range of video and audio material offering background stories compiled by scientists and artists. Naturally, as in any library, visitors will be able to consult a collection of books and digital resources. The outcomes from the programme debates and projects will be constantly displayed throughout the exhibition period. In this way, the exhibition will become a breeding ground for innovative ideas and new solutions.

Organicism mannequins

Over the years, Iris van Herpen has been developing a pioneering mannequin design together with her long-term collaborator the architect & designer Philip Beesley. Incorporating their expertise in 3D printing, digital fabrication, chemical and electrical processes, they have designed an avant-garde mannequin that reinvents the traditional fashion exhibition display and reflects their mutual fascination for materials and structures. The mannequin, that takes the form of an organic sculpture, is perfectly aligned with the couturier’s innovative creations. It will be showcased for the first time at The Green Metropolis as a true embodiment of the exhibition’s concept. 

he mannequins will be made in a T crystal-clear material

The collection The collection at Naturalis Biodiversity Center, with more than 42 million objects, represents an infinite source of knowledge, insights and references. The collection of the Leiden-based institution, which this year celebrated its 200th anniversary, is made up of a series of subcollections that include insects, plants, fossils, fish, rocks and mammals. Together, they form a national collection that occupies a position in the top 5 natural history collections, worldwide. In developing new materials for the haute couture and architect elements, these collections were extensively studied, and the collection managers and scientists at Naturalis shared their knowledge about the objects. Within the exhibition, the visitors will as it were become part of these sources of inspiration. Both the objects themselves and the knowledge the experts have gathered about them will be displayed and disseminated. Below are a few examples that help illustrate the way we will be merging information about the objects, with other disciplines, to offer visitors to the exhibition new ways of looking at our living environment.

Versatile fungi In collaboration with the scientific team headed by Vincent Merckx, evolutionary biologist and fungus expert at Naturalis, Iris van Herpen and Winy Maas are investigating the possibility of producing new materials from mycelium, the term for the network of threads that form all fungi. Artist and concept developer Diana Scherer is also involved in this exciting experiment. The exhibition will feature examples from the fungus collection at Naturalis in the form of models, dried material, photographic records and research results.

Urban nature In the themes ‘urban nature’ and ‘urban evolution’ – both new areas of research within the field of biology - we will show examples of plant and animal species that have rapidly adapted to their urban environment, thereby acquiring a different appearance or different behaviour

From left to right: mycelium (microscopic image); Interwoven by Diana Scherer; plant roots with hyphae (cross-section) 14

Study into the evolution of snail shells, Naturalis

patterns from their non-city dwelling cousins. For nimals, the city environment is a completely different a habitat from the natural environment. Nonetheless, certain species of animal are more than capable of surviving here. City animals are bolder and more inventive in the way they survive and flourish. City pigeons, for example, have developed a form of detox plumage while weeds on the street have evolved their very own form of seed. The exhibition will reveal how city-dwelling coots have made their nests from plastic litter, including protective facemasks, and will feature snails with paler shells than those of their counterparts living outside the city, that have evolved to help them withstand the high urban temperatures. Evolutionary patterns such as these are of particular interest to Iris van Herpen and Winy Maas, and provide them with inspiration for designing materials for the physical protection of both people and the built environment.

Tropical rainforest The tropical rainforest - a vital biodiversity hotspot – is another interesting area of research for urban planners such as Winy Maas. His ideal would be to give all cities a ‘Green Dip’; his term for the re-evaluation of the spatial, biological and metaphorical construction of ‘nature’ in our cities. The natural treasures of the rainforest are particularly inspiring, as is the discovery by scientists at Naturalis that the Amazon forest is home to a staggering 390 billion trees. With a total of 16,000 different species, much of the Amazon features a greater diversity of trees per hectare than all of the countries of Europe, combined. The exhibition will feature many samples of different wood types, historical and more recent herbaria and examples of special animals that live uniquely in tropical rainforests. In addition to the tropical trees and plants themselves, the quality and potential uses of various

Analysis: mapping tree species in the Amazon sheets (left), herbarium from the Naturalis collection (right) 16

From left to right: fashion design by Iris van Herpen; sea plankton, collected by Naturalis for research into the effects of climate change on marine life; sea anemones, drawn by Ernst Heckel, nineteenth-century German zoologist

types of wood are typical study material for architects and fashion designers, like Iris van Herpen.

Planet Water If you look at our planet Earth from space, you will see that much of it consists of oceans. ‘Water’ would in fact have been a more appropriate name. With the oceans averaging a depth of more than 3.5 kilometres, it is no surprise that 99 percent of Earth’s habitat is water. In the broad sense of the word, water – both freshwater and seawater – is becoming an increasingly important topic. Sea levels are rising, oceans are acidifying and

the ever dwindling amount of freshwater will drastically change our lives. Naturalis has a large team of marine biologists hard at work researching the biodiversity of coral reefs (Coral Triangle, the Caribbean) and plankton in the Pacific. Closer to home, Naturalis is working with the DNA Waterscan project to develop a genetic method for detecting and monitoring freshwater organisms in the Netherlands, that can be used as indicators for ecological water quality, public health and potential threats (from exotic species). The exhibition will feature models of fish and corals, glass models, photographs and film images of plankton to demonstrate the beauty and resilience of underwater life, and its vital importance to humankind. 17

Sapiens

sapiensamsterdam.com

The Green Metropolis is produced by SapiensAmsterdam. The newly established company is creating a hotspot in Amsterdam that brings together elements of a museum, a laboratory, a workshop and a think tank, to address the enormous questions posed by climate change and biodiversity decline. Sapiens is a collaborative venture between Naturalis Biodiversity Center, VU University of Amsterdam, EDGE technologies and MVRDV. Naturalis is the national research institute of the Netherlands in the field of biodiversity, and provides historical and current knowledge about the state of biodiversity, as well as expertise on specific species and ecosystems and state-of-the-art research techniques. The role of VU Amsterdam’s Sustainability Institute is to provide research, context and students to work on projects with a broad social perspective. As well as enabling young professionals and academics

to work on projects in a pressure cooker environment, on a daily basis, Sapiens will host lectures, debates, and exhibitions that will stimulate new solutions. In the words of Mirjam van Praag, president of the Executive Board of VU Amsterdam, “Humankind is ingenious. With the willpower of young people and the experience of the current generation we can go far.” Sapiens aims to accelerate solutions for issues that currently require societal attention, such as climate, biodiversity, poverty reduction, mobility, urban environment, governance, financing new cities, other forms of building, transport, food, clean drinking water, clean oceans and financing tools. It will be a place for, with and by young people and young professionals who want to join forces to develop projects that contribute to a better living environment. At Sapiens, they will have the opportunity to work on their ideas and innovations. The results will then be further elaborated in organisations large and small, and fed back to society, both in the form of small-scale tips, advice, and suggestions, and largescale improvements. Sapiens is part of the Valley building in Amsterdam’s Zuidas. Valley was designed by Winy Maas, a founding partner of the renowned architects firm MVRDV, and is being developed by EDGE. Sapiens will be open to anyone who wants to cooperate and contribute, who is seeking inspiration or is curious about the role of humankind on Earth, and the contribution we can make together, to leave our planet in a better way than we seem to be doing, at present. Specifically in this predominantly corporate and densely built environment, where the influence of humankind is so tangible, we wish to continue working towards a sustainable future. As a particularly sustainable, green building, Valley is the best conceivable location for this purpose. Science, charitable organisations, entrepreneurs, governments, media, the catering industry and the cultural sector will all come together in this high-profile building, to create the perfect energy for new developments.

The Valley by architects firm MVRDV 18

Specifications Scalable from 600 - 1,000 m

Designs by Winy Maas and The Why Factory

Objects from the natural history collection of

Naturalis

Dresses by Iris van Herpen from several collections and newly created pieces for this exhibition

Samples of materials used and developed by

Winy Maas and The Why Factory

Programme of debates and workshops in

Sketches by Iris van

Iris van Herpen

produced specifically for this exhibit

collaboration with the venue

Herpen

Samples of materials used and developed by

Sound and vision,

architecture and nature are blended

six months Available from

Films on biodiversity, Immersive spaces in which couture,

Minimum rental period

summer 2022

urban architecture and couture, interviews with experts