At Chelsea Flower Show, IKEA and Tom Dixon explore the importance of sustainable growing, looking at the contrast of the hyper-natural and hyper-tech. The garden, entitled “Gardening will Save the World” features exclusive prototypes of a new IKEA and Dixon range coming in 2021.
Exploring alternative, local and more sustainable ways of growing food is essential in our current climate. As a result, IKEA is collaborating with world-renowned designer Tom Dixon to explore how democratic design principles can be applied to urban farming. The first step of this project has been working on a garden with the Design Research Studio, the design and innovations studio at the heart of Tom Dixon for the exhibition at Chelsea Flower Show, named “Gardening will save the world”.
The garden demonstrates how people can contribute to the movement of growing at home, and make a difference to reducing food waste, as well as broadcasting the beauty and functional importance of horticulture, through both traditional knowledge and the latest in growing innovation.
“As part of the Chelsea Flower Show, we have designed and realized an experimental model for growing plants in the urban environment. Aiming to give back to cities and create productive landscapes within urban zones, the garden includes a raised modular landscape with edible and medicinal plants and an enclosed based garden fuelled by hydroponic systems and controllable lighting,” says Tom Dixon.
Exploring the contrast of the hyper-natural and hyper-tech to encourage an independent approach to growing, the garden is split into two levels and feature over 4,000 plants. The garden’s base hosts a horticultural laboratory where hydroponic technology is implemented, whilst the raised garden is dedicated to a botanic oasis with a natural aesthetic for visitors to immerse themselves in.
“For IKEA, this project is about bringing attention to the future of the environment and the importance of growing food locally. We want to create smart solutions to encourage people and make it easier to grow plants themselves anywhere they can, whether that’s in their community garden, rooftop or in containers on balconies and window sills,” says James Futcher, Creative Leader at IKEA Range and Supply.
After IKEA and Tom Dixon have displayed their ideas at Chelsea Flower Show, the garden will be donated to charity Participatory City and moved to Barking and Dagenham in East London. Parts of the garden will be re-created at The Warehouse, the largest public makerspace in London to help inspire and enable more people to enjoy it and learn about the importance of growing food locally. Participatory City and IKEA share the ambition of making sustainable and healthy living available for the many, every day, led by local people.
The ‘Gardening will Save the World’ exhibition will be at the Chelsea Flower Show till May 25, 2019. The garden will then be moved to Barking and Dagenham, where charity Participatory City will be running a series of projects at the installation from 25th June for four weeks. The garden will then remain at this location for at least three years, ahead of the regeneration project beginning in this area.