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Close up of lamps hanging in the growing pavilion

Floriade's Preview Center the Growing pavilion, which is made almost entirely of mycelium, opened its doors on Friday, July 31. SIGN (Stichting Innovatie Glastuinbouw Nederland) grew two large biobased chandeliers for this purpose, with a diameter of almost one and a half meters.

These special lamps were created by sterilizing waste streams from horticulture and grafting them with mycelium from a mushroom: the Ganoderma lucidum mushroom. Bell pepper trimmings and chrysanthemum fibers proved to be an excellent food source for the mycelium. That seals the residual streams together without resins or glues. The mycelium takes the shape of the mold in which it grows. After a week of growth, three shades were placed against each other so that they could grow together. The lamp was then dried and fitted with fittings and wiring.

Production and design took place in the laboratory of artists' collective Mediamatic in Amsterdam by Nehis Osagie and Peter Oei. The development of high-quality products from waste streams is a spearhead of the Circular Horticulture program.

Photo credit: Anton van Beek