A pop-up tropical hothouse in East London seeks to demonstrate the effects of climate change whilst also celebrating the beauty and resilience of plants.
The Hothouse, which is currently on display at International Quarter London near Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park in London’s Stratford, will provide a controlled habitat for cultivating plants that would not ordinarily grow within the UK’s climate.
London-based architecture practice, Studio Weave teamed up with garden designer Tom Massey to create the pop-up tropical hothouse. Reminiscent of a Victorian glasshouse, the environment of The Hothouse can be regulated and adapted to suit the plants within.
The planting scheme includes a vast array of plants from all over the world – an edible jungle of exotic and unusual species. The crops that will be grown include guava, orange, gourd, chia seed, avocado, pomegranate, quinoa, mango, sweet potato, lemon, sugarcane, chickpea, loquat and pineapple. The Hothouse aims to show how these crops survive and evolve over the different seasons.
The pop-up tropical hothouse also seeks to demonstrate the effects of climate change. Scientists predict that if the current rate of climate change continues to accelerate, all of these crops could potentially be grown outside in the UK by 2050 – highlighting the reality of a rapidly changing climate.
Visitors are unable to go inside the large-scale hothouse installation, which was created as part of London Design Festival. The Hothouse will remain on display until the end of 2021.
Rosa Medea is Life & Soul Magazine’s Chief. She writes about lifestyle including sustainable and green living.
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