Floriade 2022: The lushest of gardens in the Netherlands
The city of Almere, in Holland, envisions a green city that would help conserve every botanical species on the planet.
The renowned architectural firm Maas Van Rijs de Vries has proposed to build an artificial peninsula off the city of Almere which would function as a unique “library of plants.” The gorgeous project has made the city a candidate for hosting Floriade 2022, the great gardening exposition Holland holds every ten yeas.
The hypothetical bio-district, where plants instead of books are alphabetically cataloged and organized, would look like a quilt of tiny gardens with intermittent patches of green houses and bamboo parks. It aims to be a sort of university faculty where each classroom would have a distinct climate and array of plants. It would also house a central plaza that would produce its own energy and food source. But besides a university, it would have a residential sector, with homes nestled between orchards.
The architectural company says, “Visitors will be able to stay at jasmine hotels, swim in lily ponds and dine in rose gardens.” In other words, this greenest of urban spaces would show its visitors and residents how plants can enrich every aspect of our daily lives.
It’s true that this project has a fantastical utopian vision and a lamentably short amount of time for its construction. But Holland’s rich architectural history, along with Maas Van Rijs de Vries’ proven talent, render this improbable eco-topia as an achievable dream.
Floriade 2022 encourages an unprecedented ecological trend that could change urban-life as we know it.
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