Submitted by WA Contents Henning Larsen unfolds the potential of mycelium with 80 spheres at Milan Design Week Italy Architecture News - Apr 15, 2025 - 05:17   html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/REC-html40/loose.dtd" Henning Larsen, in partnership with Politecnico di Milano, presents Growing matter(s) at Milan Design Week - a pavilion that investigates bio-based materials and innovative design aesthetics. As an interactive installation, situated in Via Bonardi 9, this exhibit demonstrates the possibilities of mycelium as a building material that is both living and evolving.Image © DSL StudioMade up of 80 spheres of mycelium, the pavilion features a unique shape for each sphere due to the natural growth process of the material. Mycelium, in contrast to conventional materials like concrete or steel, does not conform to uniformity. Its shape is determined by environmental factors, leading to textures and flaws that defy traditional design norms and honor the sophistication of biological systems.Image © DSL StudioThe Growing matter(s) pavilion offers a fresh viewpoint on architectural aesthetics—one that welcomes variation, decay, and transformation.Using organic substrates such as hemp, flour, sugar, and beer dregs, which were chosen with care, the spheres were cultivated and inoculated with two strains of mycelium: Pleurotus Eryngii and Pleurotus Ostreatus. Image © DSL StudioThe wooden molds were colonized by the mycelium over the course of several weeks. To ensure structural stability, one set of spheres was dried while the other was kept alive, permitting the material to evolve naturally.Each component of the pavilion strengthens its circular design tenets. Mycelium spheres decompose completely at the end of their lifecycle, making them fully biodegradable. Meanwhile, the scaffolding structure is fully borrowed, intended for disassembly, and will be reused after Milan Design Week.Image © DSL StudioHow do we design with materials that change over time?Henning Larsen, in partnership with Politecnico di Milano’s Material Balance Research Lab and with support from the Ramboll Foundation, designed the pavilion. RIMOND offers project management and extra sponsorship, while Spore.nl manages mycelium production and Di Falco srl handles scaffolding engineering.Image © DSL StudioImage © DSL StudioImage © Studio Laura EliseImage © Zoey KroeningImage © Zoey KroeningImage © Zoey KroeningImage © Zoey KroeningImage © Zoey KroeningImage © Zoey KroeningImage © Piercarlo Quecchia, DSL StudioImage © Piercarlo Quecchia, DSL StudioImage © Piercarlo Quecchia, DSL StudioDuring Milan Design Week, from April 7 to April 13, the pavilion is accessible to the public and will continue to be open until April 20.Project factsDesign: Henning Larsen, in partnership with Politecnico di Milano (Material Balance Research Lab)Sponsor: Ramboll FoundationSponsor and project management: RIMONDMycelium production: Spore.nlScaffolding engineering: Di Falco srlSize: 24m2Year: 2024-2025The top image in the article © Piercarlo Quecchia, DSL Studio.> via Henning Larsen