Edited by: Enrico Mancini enrico.mancini@positive-magazine.com
Where: Turin
Architecture: La Machine
Proofreading: Bianca Baroni
During the Smart City Days in Turin this year, Piazza Castello is going to be the theater of an extraordinary event: a flying greenhouse, that looks half way between Jules Verne’s Nautilus and Jeff Koon’s spider, will land there from the 16th until the 19th of May.
Nantes is the 2013 European Green Capital and they’re using the occasion to show their unique handcrafting experience in building exceptional machines around the old continent.
After a stop over in Bruxelles and Turin, the Aéroflorale II will continue its Expédition Végétale in Hamburg before pointing it’s prow to Nantes again.
This scientific/theatral expedition started, in fact, thanks to the Nantes Métropole community, as part of a wider program of events planned to involve citizens and European partners in a stronger awareness for the environment and life quality.
Aérofloreale II is interesting also from the architectural point of view: it’s a structure that measures 10 x 7 meters and 16 meters high, weighting 8 tons of iron and larch wood. On top of the four spider legs there’s a XVIII century botanical garden, “lifted” by five aerostatic balloons.
It’s a living installation that is supposed to collect vegetable samples around Europe, with the purpose of showing the incredible endowment of bio-diversity.
If we consider the sails, rudders, puff of steam and the strange guys wearing hipsters mustaches that fill this installation as mere enjoyment for the youngsters, what it’s left is a great idea, a wonderful demonstration of craftsmanship and an exceptional event to mark on your calendar.
