Sustainable Energy

When landscapers think of parks or gardens, they think of the energy it takes to build them. But at Milan Design Week 2022, the city’s Botanical Garden was transformed to explore the idea of a park “creating” energy. International design office CRA-Carlo Ratti Associati and architect Italo Rota conceived “Feeling the Energy.” The installation made use of 500 meters of digitally bent copper pipe to create a sensorial path where people explored different forms of sustainable energy production and consumption. The installation harvested and stored energy during the day, using it to illuminate the Botanical Garden in the evening. It also powered water vaporizers that cooled the garden pathways, while nourishing vegetation. The installation invited people to wander through Milan’s historical Botanical Garden in a sequence of six main areas to directly experience power produced from the sun, wind, and people’s movements. Each step featured a different object, all made of copper. Upon entry, visitors immediately discovered a majestic carousel to experience energy in motion. Then, people could walk under a series of portals which played sequences from the renowned Four Seasons symphony by Antonio Vivaldi. The exhibition path also included a giant vibraphone which people were invited to play. Moreover, a tunnel with colored diaphragms laden with organic photovoltaic panels could be opened or closed by those wandering through it, while a canopy featured sensors that could detect people’s presence and activate a cool mist. “The installation is inspired by the functioning of plant organisms,” says Carlo Ratti, founding ...