The Netherlands

Power Plant

Power Plant is a futuristic greenhouse that uses sunlight to generate both food and electricity. Can it help to allay our fears for humanity’s future?  

Food drives many of our most primal emotions, and increasingly it is at the root of our deepest fears. The world’s population is growing rapidly; by 2050, 2.5 billion people will live in cities. At the same time, climate change is amplifying weather extremes – deserts are expanding and fertile land is becoming scarcer. The question is, how can we continue to feed so many people – and how can we do so in a way that doesn’t do further damage to the planet?  

Power Plant, the Netherlands’ installation, will show how design offers cause for hope. Visitors will enter a greenhouse of the future – a building that harvests both food and the electricity needed to grow it. Power Plant’s transparent solar glass maintains its indoor climate, enabling year-round growth, while a hydroponic system circulates nutrient-enriched water, reducing water use by 90 per cent compared to traditional soil farming. By growing vertically, and by using specifically coloured LEDs in addition to sunlight, plant growth can be increased by up to 40 times. “We hope to build a Kew Gardens of the 21st century,” says designer Marjan van Aubel, “where we celebrate modern technologies and grow the plants of the future.” 

 Credits: 

• Administering Body: Het Nieuwe Instituut
• Designer: Marjan van Aubel
• Design Team: Emma Elston, Scott van Haastrecht, Britt Berden, Maurits Koster, Craig Barrow, 
• Supporting Bodies: Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in London, Dutch Ministry of Education, Culture and Science, What Design Can Do