Growing Matter(s) Pavilion
Growing Matter(s) Pavilion
Henning Larsen Architects
PHOTOGRAPHS
Zoey Kroening, Piercarlo Quecchia, Dsl Studio, Studio Laura Elise
DESIGN
Henning Larsen, Politecnico Di Milano (Material Balance Research Lab)
SPONSOR AND PROJECT MANAGEMENT
Rimond
MYCELIUM PRODUCTION
Spore
SCAFFOLDING
Di Falco
AREA
259 Ft²
YEAR
2025
LOCATION
Italy
CATEGORY
Cultural Architecture, Pavilion
Text description provided by architect.
In collaboration with Politecnico di Milano, Henning Larsen unveils Growing Matter(s) at Milan Design Week (Via Bonardi 9) - a pavilion exploring bio-based materials and new design aesthetics.
This interactive installation showcases the potential of mycelium as a living, evolving building material. The pavilion is composed of 80 mycelium spheres, each uniquely shaped by the material's natural growth process.
Unlike traditional materials such as concrete or steel, mycelium defies uniformity.
Its form is shaped by environmental conditions, resulting in textures and imperfections that challenge conventional design standards and celebrate the intelligence of living systems.
A new aesthetic for circular design - The Growing Matter(s) pavilion proposes a new perspective on architectural aesthetics: one that embraces variation, decay, and transformation.
The spheres were cultivated using carefully selected organic substrates-including hemp, flour, sugar, and beer dregs-and inoculated with two mycelium strains, Pleurotus Eryngii and Pleurotus Ostreatus.
Over several weeks, the mycelium colonized wooden molds. One set of spheres was dried to maintain structural stability, while the other was left alive, allowing the material to evolve naturally.
Every element of the pavilion reinforces its circular design principles. The mycelium spheres are fully biodegradable, decomposing at the end of their lifecycle.
The scaffolding structure, meanwhile, is entirely borrowed, designed for disassembly, and will be reused following Milan Design Week.
A journey in bio-based materials - Growing Matter(s) builds on Henning Larsen's commitment to material innovation.
Previous explorations include the 250m2 extension of Feldballe School in Denmark (designed with wood, seagrass, and straw), the timber-constructed BESTSELLER Logistics Centre West in the Netherlands, World of Volvo in Gothenburg, and the Fritz Hansen Pavilion at Copenhagen's 3daysofdesign.
