Carlo Ratti Associati Turns Milan Botanical Garden Into "Energy Park"

"Feeling the Energy" is an installation project resulting from the collaboration of Carlo Ratti Associati (CRA) with Italo Rota developed by Plenitude, a decarbonizing energy-producing company. This installation was built for the cast of INTERNI Design Re-Generation which was held from June 6 to June 13, 2022.

Feeling the Energy installation designed by Carlo Ratti Associati

Carlo Ratti Associati designed the installation using a 500-meter-long antibacterial copper pipe designed with a tortuous shape. Through this form, the installation "Feeling the Energy '' seems to invite visitors to take a walk through the sensory paths scattered in the Milan Botanical Garden.

The Feeling the Energy installation is designed using a 500-meter-long copper pipe

To maximize energy exploration, Carlo Ratti Associati presented 6 installations with different shapes, but still followed the tortuous design principles. From here, visitors are invited to experience firsthand how the sun, wind, and human movement can produce energy.

Carousel

The first experience that "Feeling the Energy" offers is the Carousel, an energy installation with a colorful tassel hanging down that can move in the direction of the wind. As visitors continue their journey past the bottom of the copper pipe, they will be greeted by a series of shapes featuring a four-season symphony. This is an interactive installation because visitors can play with the pipe by swinging the copper pipe to create different tones.

Vibraphone

One of the most attractive installations on "Feeling the Energy" is a giant vibraphone capable of producing stunning sound echoes. The installation, which is designed with a visual resemblance of a tunnel with a colorful dichroic on the side, can be moved by visitors when passing by it. With the help of sunlight, dichroic can create colorful shadows that further decorate the tunnel.

Tunnel installation with colorful dichroic

Photovoltaic panels create beautiful shadows

When leaving the tunnel and walking straight ahead, visitors will find an installation with photovoltaic panels that look like a canopy. In this installation, visitors can see how the energy of the sun can create beautiful shadows that bounce off the ground.

Feeling the Energy installation can work with the help of solar energy, wind, and human movement

Meanwhile, at the end of the trip, there is an installation that gives a cool feeling. How not, this installation is very responsive and equipped with sensors that can detect the presence of people. When the sensor catches the signal that there are people around, it will automatically exhale water vapor that provides coolness to the sensory path while nourishing the surrounding vegetation.

"Playing is a fundamental activity for every human being. This installation suggests new links between play and the world of energy. It shows us that every time we consume energy - whether it's on a carousel a swing, or even while producing sound waves - we can recover some of that energy. In addition, the installation hints closely at the theme of efficiency. A simple gesture such as orienting the photovoltaic panels allows us to think practically about saving and optimizing resources," says Italo Rota.