Evolution in motion
Utrecht University Botanic Gardens, Utrecht (NL)
In the new Evolution garden at Utrecht University Botanic Gardens, visitors take a 500-million year journey through the moving evolution of plants.
Plant evolution
The Evolution garden was created based on the current scientific classification of so-called plant orders and families. Visitors will be able to walk through plant evolution: from mosses, to ferns, and from sturdy trees to exuberant flowers. Studio Louter was asked to design a visitor experience around eight key moments in that evolution.
Motion
Through a pressure cooker session, we developed the concept for the garden: “Evolution garden, always in motion”. This refers to the fact that plants, although seemingly stationary, move with the seasons and the conditions in which they grow. In addition, evolution can be seen as continuous movement through time. And finally, visitors will move through the garden as they travel through time.
The element of movement forms the basis for the eight artistic installations that we will develop with Tjep. in the next phase of the project. The (moving) installations, will zoom in on details of evolution, making it tangible and accesible for the general public.
At each key moment in the evolution, there is an information board. Visitors can delve into the plant world here. Through viewing tips, they discover specific plants at that spot in the garden.
Credits
Client
Botanische Tuinen Universiteit UtrechtContent Design
Studio LouterProduction art installations and information boards
Tjep.Construction
Kloosterboer