RHS RES 2023

The garden aimed to spark public interest in insect science and highlight the essential ecological role insects play in shaping the health and future of our environments.

Inspired by the unexpected biodiversity found on British brownfield sites, the garden demonstrated how discarded materials and overlooked landscapes can be transformed into rich habitats for insects, offering an ecological message relevant to increasingly urban populations.

The design explored the world of insects and the habitats that support them, emphasising that moths, beetles, ants, hornets and countless lesser-seen species are just as vital to our ecosystems as more celebrated pollinators. The landscape featured a series of microhabitats using materials such as deadwood, rammed earth, construction waste mulches, rubble, sand and mixed gabions – all referencing the resilience and richness of brownfield sites.

At the centre of the garden was the teaching pavilion: a lightweight dome modelled on the compound eye of an insect. Its geometry was developed using the Spaceplates system by Anne Romme, N55 and Anne Bagger. The system uses flat hexagonal facets arranged so their nominal nodes behave structurally like a true dome. Despite a structural thickness of just 3 mm, the final 7 m diameter form was engineered to withstand wind loads at its permanent location in Stratford, East London. The engineering drew on research by Anne Bagger and performs similarly to nodal domes pioneered by Buckminster Fuller.

The windows of the pavilion were formed from polycarbonate with a dichroic film, creating an iridescent effect reminiscent of insect eyes.

The dome was fabricated using thin-gauge hexagonal flat panels cut and assembled to exacting tolerances, allowing the nominal nodes to lock into a stable, shell-like structure. The lightweight construction enabled rapid assembly and dismantling while still meeting structural demands for both the Chelsea environment and its long-term installation at IQL Stratford.

The dichroic polycarbonate windows required precise forming and installation to maintain the optical quality and iridescent character central to the architectural intent.

The pavilion and garden were installed on the Main Avenue site as part of the Chelsea Flower Show build-up. Once the show concluded, the structure was dismantled and transported for reinstallation at IQL Stratford, at the gateway to the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park. There, it provides a permanent home for the Royal Entomological Society, enabling them to host events, educate visitors and inspire future interest in insect science.

Team

• Funding: Project Giving Back

• Garden Design: Tom Massey Studio

• Garden Construction: Landscape Associates

• Plants: Hortus Loci

• Lab concept: Anne Romme, Anne Bagger and N55

• Structural Engineering: Cake Engineering

• Fabrication and installation: Cake Industries

• Geometry definition: Mule Studio

• Photographs: Alister Thorpe

Awards

• RHS Chelsea Flower Show Awards Silver Gilt Medal- RES Show Garden 2023