Terrestreum

Terrestreum addresses the systemic crises brought about by the combined forces of climate change and COVID-19. As our existing economic, social and ecological systems come increasingly under pressure, it is clear that new institutional models are required that address these complex problems through a combination of research, education, and sustainable production.

Heritage institutions play a key role in this transformation. Drawing on the European historical phenomenon of former palaces and stately homes being converted into public museums and gardens, Terrestreum proposes reclaiming disused airport terminal buildings, recently emptied by the pandemic, and establishing in their place a new institutional and architectural typology at the intersection of botanical gardens, urban farms, and public parks. This hybrid site is intended to fulfill and extend the potential of heritage institutions in an era of rapid irreversible climate change.

This speculative project takes as its focus Heathrow Terminal 5, using it as a site to explore the potential for such an institution in the 21st century. By focusing these three poles of activity within a single space, Terrestreum seeks to create a new heritage institution that emphasises collective experiences over collections; participatory over passive learning; and production over consumption of knowledge.

Project Team

Takayoshi Goto / Alexander Walmsley

Project Name

Terrestreum

Team Location

Switzerland, Zürich / Germany, Berlin

Category

Architecture & Design