Covered Garden Project Where ‘Four Seasons’ Coexist Simultaneously

Carlo Ratti's wants to bring spring, summer, winter, and fall inside a garden.

July 15, 2017 5:00 am
"The Garden of the Four Seasons," an indoor climate-changing pavilion, is planned for Milan. (Carlo Ratti Associati)
"The Garden of the Four Seasons," an indoor climate-changing pavilion, is planned for Milan. (Carlo Ratti Associati)

Seasons do change, but usually not this quickly.

A proposed garden in Milan would allow visitors to experience the weather of all four seasons at any time of the year. Using climate-control technology, Italian architect Carlo Ratti will re-create spring, summer, fall, and winter inside a covered garden.

The 26,000-square-foot project, dubbed “The Garden of the Four Seasons,” has been planned for the north-west corner of Milan, according to Dezeen. Visitors to the garden will experience the natural progression of the seasons. Plans show guests entering through the spring section of the garden follow a path that takes them through climate-controlled areas that replicate summer, fall, and winter.

“The Garden of the Four Seasons,” an indoor climate-changing pavilion, is planned for Milan. (Carlo Ratti Associati)
Energy, gathered from the roof, will be redistributed throughout the building. (Carlo Ratti Associati)

Powered by solar energy from rooftop photovoltaic panels, the building will use cutting-edge energy technology to create the different indoor climates. A refrigerator-like system will chill the winter area while heating up the summer section, pumping cool air into one and hot air into the other, Dezeen reports.

The roof features a plastic ventilation membrane that automatically responds to sensors throughout the building maintain consistent temperatures throughout the building.

Metrics for water, temperature, humidity, and nutrient levels needed for various flora will be displayed in real-time on digital panels throughout each pavilion.

“The Garden of the Four Seasons,” an indoor climate-changing pavilion, is planned for Milan. (Carlo Ratti Associati)

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