Studio Weave
Hot House
London-based architecture practice Studio Weave, designed The Hothouse, a large-scale installation located at International Quarter London (IQL), Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park. The structure is reminiscent of a Victorian glasshouse and provides a controlled habitat for cultivating plants that would not ordinarily grow within the UK’s climate. The environment of The Hothouse can be regulated and adapted to suit the plants within. Garden Designer Tom Massey collaborated with Studio Weave to develop a concept for the planting scheme that includes a vast array of productive plants from all over the world: an edible jungle of exotic and unusual species. Crops grown include guava, orange, gourd, chia seed, avocado, pomegranate, quinoa, mango, sweet potato, lemon, sugarcane, chickpea, loquat and pineapple.
The Hothouse was intended to be in situ for a year, (but is currently still there), displaying the variance and evolution of plants across all seasons – but also seeking to educate and inspire.The installation seeks to demonstrate the effects of climate change, whilst also celebrating the beauty of plants and humans’ adaptability, ingenuity and ability to overcome problems and create safe and stable growing environments for plants from all over the world.
Images courtesy of Ed Reeve