The Flower Room, an innovative temporary installation designed by Office for Roundtable and JXY Studio, has been completed in Huizhou, China, serving as a unique ecological framework that fosters symbiosis between plants and insects. This 10-square-meter micro-laboratory represents a departure from conventional greenhouse designs by embracing an open and porous structure that allows natural elements to flow freely through the space.
Located at the intersection of countryside and forest in Huizhou, the installation addresses a critical environmental challenge facing the local ecosystem. Invasive species, particularly climbing plants like bittersweet vine, have been smothering ground-level sunlight and gradually causing ecological decline in the area. The Flower Room proposes a potential solution for restoring biodiversity through its innovative vertical planting system.
Unlike traditional closed and controlled greenhouse environments, the Flower Room welcomes natural forces as integral design elements. Sunlight dances through the structure, rain flows naturally, and wind brings shifts in micro-climate while encouraging birds, bees, and butterflies to wander freely within the space. This openness creates what the architects describe as an "intimate dialogue between elements of nature."
The installation features vertical planting racks that elevate native plants away from invasive species on the ground level. Flower boxes are strategically positioned at varying heights and orientations, creating an array of microclimates shaped by diverse conditions of light and water exposure. This thoughtful arrangement allows plants to grow and interact at their own natural paces – some unfurl tender leaves, others bloom and bear fruit, while some accumulate seeds and develop root systems.
Constructed with a lightweight steel frame designed for modularity, the Flower Room demonstrates remarkable adaptability that enables replication at different sites in the future. The installation achieves stability through interlocking components while minimizing environmental impact by touching the ground through only a few support points. This approach significantly reduces disturbance to soil and other existing ground conditions.
The project transforms into a living stage that constantly showcases the richness of biodiversity through natural processes including pollination, seed dispersal, the flight of bees and butterflies, and the foraging and perching of birds. The design team, consisting of Leyuan Li, Xuanyu Wei, Yue Xu, and Jiaxun Xu, collaborated with Donghua Chen Studio as the client to realize this vision of ecological restoration.
As both a temporary installation and a micro-experiment in ecological care, the Flower Room represents more than just an architectural intervention – it embodies a tender conversation with nature itself. Within its compact five-square-meter footprint, the cycles of life are showcased, magnified, and reimagined, demonstrating how natural forces and flows can be harmoniously integrated into designed spaces. The installation serves as a powerful reminder that ecological restoration doesn't require vast protected lands, proving that even within the smallest spaces, life can weave itself together through abundant love and care.
