The Aurelia Institute, in partnership with Heatherwick Studio, is unveils an ambitious vision for the future of space architecture with the Space Garden project at the Venice Architecture Biennale. Conceived as an autonomous orbiting greenhouse for Low Earth Orbit (LEO), Space Garden merges research in horticulture, technology, and design to inspire new ways of thinking about humanity’s relationship with both Earth and space.
The prototype structure features a central hub branching into 30 climate-controlled growth pods, each designed to nurture fruiting plants, trees, fungi, or algae in microgravity. The project aims to pioneer autonomous, high-impact crop production that not only supports future long-duration space missions, but also drives sustainable agricultural strategies here on Earth.
Beyond its scientific aims, Space Garden’s organic design provokes our imagination of what space habitats could function. At the exhibition, visitors can explore a working example of the life-support systems designed for a specific plant species inside a detailed section of a single growth pod or chamber. They’ll also encounter a one-third-scale, illuminated model of the entire Space Garden structure.
Space Garden is a bold visual statement that advances the frontier of space architecture, while also serving as a technically robust demonstration of aerospace innovation. Equally vital to its mission is inspiring designers, architects, and creatives to imagine new possibilities for humanity’s future among the stars.
