Excursion: Berlinische Galerie – Closer To Nature

The Closer To Nature exhibition at the Berlinische Galerie presents various forms and examples in which architecture merges with organic materials or processes. The growth properties of mushrooms or trees are used, as well as the aesthetic and practical use of rammed earth. 
MY-CO-X: The objects designed by the MY-CO-X collective are the results of a research project by TU Berlin and Bochum University of Applied Sciences. The ability of fungi to both decompose and bind organic material is expressed here in the form of architecture consisting of wooden boards and panels covered with fungi.
If the mycelium thrives on a natural substrate such as hemp or sawdust, it forms a material unit with it. The new material can bind others firmly to it, grow into different structures and take on various strengths. Heat is used to stop the growth of the fungus. 
Building with botany. Living nature can also be a building material. In India, bridges are still formed from the aerial roots of the rubber tree. In Europe, the treetops of so-called dancing lime trees were turned into public spaces. Today, the approach of architectural botany aims to merge plants and structural elements. Deciduous trees in particular become an integral part of growing architecture that is constantly changing and never complete. 
Earth building: Building with rammed earth is an ancient method that is attracting new attention today due to its sustainability. It requires hardly any energy, its material – earth – is available almost everywhere and can be reused. The color and texture of the clay are always unique, which is why it is usually not covered. This also allows it to breathe and naturally regulate room humidity and temperature.
Its revival in Germany is impressively demonstrated by the Chapel of Reconciliation on Bernauer Strasse. The sacred building, built between 1996 and 2000 by Rudolf Reitermann and Peter Sassenroth, stands in the former “death strip” of the Berlin Wall. In view of the location, it was decided not to build with concrete. The chapel is enclosed by a seven metre high clay wall with a roof and a wooden outer skin.