Space Garden: Exploration of space as a solution to Earth’s challenges at the Biennale Architettura 2025
Heatherwick studio and Aurelia Institute partner to create Space Garden, a near-Earth orbit project exploring autonomous horticulture in space
Ariel Eklaw and Thomas Heatherwick seated in front of the Space Garden at the Biennale Architettura in Venice, Italy. Credit: Nils Koenning, Heatherwick studio.
A large model of Space Garden will be on display at the 19th International Architecture Exhibition of La Biennale di Venezia
The development of Space Garden is ongoing, with plans to launch a real-world proof of concept in the near future
This year’s Biennale Architettura plays host to a visionary new project that challenges our perceptions of space and sustainability: Space Garden, a revolutionary concept designed to humanise extraterrestrial habitats and enhance life on Earth. Created in collaboration between Heatherwick studio and Aurelia Institute, this project redefines how we think about the role of nature in space environments.
Heatherwick studio, known for its innovative approach to architecture and human-centered design, embarked on this ambitious journey following conversations with MIT graduate and space architect Dr. Ariel Ekblaw, CEO of Aurelia Institute. Space Garden proposes a radical shift in space architecture—one that prioritizes human well-being, sustainability, and a deeper connection to nature, even in the most extreme environments.
“I’m fascinated by outer space. But, maybe surprisingly, not in its own right. Instead, by its potential to help humans live better lives on Earth,” said Thomas Heatherwick. “Research shows that many types of microchips, tissues and pharmaceuticals are better manufactured in a low gravity environment. Inevitably, as space technology progresses, there will therefore be larger numbers of people working and living in space. But the design of space habitats has always been about survival, never about thriving. Space Garden started as an experiment in humanising space, by growing the plant species that make small spaces work better for your mental health, but ultimately it’s also about using the unique ‘backyard’ of low Earth orbit to benefit life on our planet.”
A large 4m x 4m model of the Space Garden, crafted by Millimetre, is on display in the Arsenale, offering visitors a closer representation of the vision. Its organic shape comprises a cluster of 30 pods. Each pod houses a different species of plant grown from a community garden on Earth; a section model of one growth pod was built at the Autodesk Technology Center in Boston as part of Aurelia’s participation in the Autodesk Research Residency Program. A central chamber features a hero species of particular fascination or cultural significance—a pomegranate tree, one of the earliest plants to be cultivated by humans.
The chambers can open and close to provide shielding for debris protection, and optimal sunlight exposure creating a shape that is organic and functional with photovoltaic cells on the outer surface.
Beyond its implications for future space habitats, Space Garden aligns with the broader conversation at this year’s Biennale Architettura, which explores the connection potential of human intelligence to tackle the most pressing challenges facing humanity. One of the key sections of this year’s event entitled ‘Out’ explores the potential of space as a solution to crises facing the Earth. At a time when space is increasingly seen as a frontier for industry and innovation, this project proposes a symbiotic relationship between Earth and the cosmos.
“The unique environment of space offers us an extraordinary opportunity to design for humanity’s greatest challenges on Earth,” says Dr. Ekblaw. “Space Garden is our vision for an orbiting greenhouse, and an invitation to engage with new ways of thinking about building in, and for, extreme environments. We are focused on developing in-space infrastructure for the public good of life on Earth.”
The development of Space Garden is ongoing, with plans to launch a real-world proof of concept in the near future as part of an “Offworlding” strategy–how can we begin to transfer heavy industry & manufacturing processes from Earth’s surface to space, letting Earth recover as a garden planet. As visitors to the Biennale Architettura 2025 encounter the model they are invited to reconsider our relationship with space—not as a means of escape, but as an opportunity for a better future on Earth.
Aurelia Institute is proud to be partnering with Daikin Industries to research and develop internal technical components for the Space Garden. With a century of expertise pioneering energy-efficient heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) technologies, Daikin is applying its core philosophy of collaborative innovation to explore new opportunities to deliver HVAC solutions that meet the unique demands of space. Aurelia and Daikin will work together to explore groundbreaking approaches to air and water management for the next hundred years — both on Earth and in orbit.
Space Garden also received sponsorship from James Anderson and the firm Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom.
The 19th International Architecture Exhibition of La Biennale di Venezia is titled “Intelligens. Natural. Artificial. Collective,” curated by Carlo Ratti and open to the public from 10 May to 23 November 2025.
For more information, interviews, or media inquiries, please contact: Janine Liberty, janine@aureliainstitute.org
Aurelia Institute is a non-profit space architecture R&D lab, education and outreach center, and policy hub focused on ushering in humanity’s spacefaring future. At this historic convergence of rapid AI advances and record-low launch costs, we are leading a paradigm shift in space structures, unlocking true scalability for humans in space. From space station designs that democratize access to orbit, to facilities that enable entirely novel microgravity biotech discoveries, our team is paving a path towards an expansive in-space economy and an aspirational future for humanity. This new organization was spun out of Dr. Ariel Ekblaw's research lab at the MIT Space Exploration Initiative. Together with Aurelia Foundry, a sister VC fund for space investing, the Aurelia ecosystem's mission is to prepare humanity to become a thriving, Earth-conscious, spacefaring species.
Heatherwick studio is a team of over 250 problem solvers dedicated to making the physical world around us better for everyone. Based out of our combined workshop and design studios in London, Shanghai, and California, we create buildings, spaces, objects and infrastructure. We want to see a world where the buildings and places around us are radically more joyful, engaging and human. Our team of architects, designers, makers, engineers and landscape architects share a motivation to design soulful and impactful places, which celebrate the complexities of the real world. The approach driving everything is to lead from human experience rather than any fixed design belief.
The studio’s completed projects include several internationally celebrated buildings, including Little Island, a park and performance space in New York, the award-winning Zeitz MOCAA in Cape Town, Azabudai Hill district in Tokyo, Coal Drops Yard in London, and the UK Pavilion at the Shanghai World Expo 2010.
The studio is currently working on 30 live projects in ten countries. These include London Olympia, a major cultural institution in the UK, Changi Airport Terminal with KPF, as well as new headquarters for Google in London (in collaboration with BIG). “Humanise: A Maker’s Guide to Building Our World” by Thomas Heatherwick, the studio’s founder, was published in 2023 by Viking (imprint of Penguin).
Daikin Industries, Ltd. (DIL) is a Fortune 1,000 company with more than 98,162 employees worldwide and a leading indoor comfort solutions provider. Daikin Comfort Technologies North America, Inc. (DNA) is a subsidiary of DIL, providing Daikin, Goodman, Amana® and Quietflex brand products. DNA and its affiliates manufacture heating and cooling systems for residential, commercial and industrial use that are sold via independent HVAC contractors. DNA engineering and manufacturing is located at Daikin Texas Technology Park near Houston, TX.
Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP | Serving clients in every major financial center, Skadden is one of the world’s leading law firms, with 22 offices and approximately 1,700 attorneys. The firm’s diversified practice enables it to offer solutions to the most challenging legal issues in virtually every area of corporate law. With more than 50 distinct areas of practice, the firm’s attorneys provide a broad range of legal services across a spectrum of industries.