Multisensory botanical garden by FaseModus underway near Milan
Construction is underway for the Giardino Botanico dei Sensi in Cernusco sul Naviglio, a project by FaseModus occupying a 1.5-hectare public green area across from the 18th-century Villa Alari. This initiative merges plant conservation, scientific inquiry, and public engagement through sensory experiences. Architect Luca Bucci, along with Elisabetta Tonali, the University of Milano-Bicocca, Milan's Natural History Museum, and artist Massimiliano Ionta, are key collaborators. The garden, located next to the Naviglio Martesana canal, transforms a former parking lot into a vibrant community space, featuring a prominent greenhouse. Ionta's augmented reality soundscapes from his 2023 installation at Triennale Milano are among the artworks. Botanists contributed to plant selection, emphasizing evolution, medicinal, and textile species relevant to Lombard habitats. The project is expected to be completed within the current administrative term.
Key facts
- Commissioned by Comune di Cernusco sul Naviglio to FaseModus.
- Located on a 1.5-hectare public green area opposite Villa Alari (18th century).
- Design inspired by tradition of botanical gardens, integrating conservation, research, and public use.
- Multisensory experience: tactile, olfactory, auditory, visual.
- Working group included University of Milano-Bicocca, Museo di Storia Naturale di Milano, artist Massimiliano Ionta (The Astronut).
- References: Gilles Clément's 'third landscapes', Camillo Sitte, Peter Greenaway films.
- Site adjacent to Naviglio Martesana ecological corridor.
- Greenhouse functions as landmark at Cernusco entrance.
- Artworks by Massimiliano Ionta using augmented reality soundscapes.
- Plant selection with botanists from Museo di Storia Naturale and University of Milano-Bicocca.
- Themed areas: evolution, medicinal plants, textile plants, Lombard environments, literary landscape from 'I Promessi Sposi'.
- Design emphasizes time as fourth dimension, with seasonal and growth changes.
- Accessibility for all ages, abilities, cultures is mandatory.
- Project validated, planned in functional lots; completion hoped within current administrative term.
Entities
Artists
- Massimiliano Ionta
- The Astronut
- Luca Bucci
- Elisabetta Tonali
- Gilles Clément
- Camillo Sitte
- Peter Greenaway
- Alessandro Manzoni
Institutions
- FaseModus
- Comune di Cernusco sul Naviglio
- Università degli Studi Milano-Bicocca
- Museo di Storia Naturale di Milano
- Triennale Milano
- Dipartimento di Scienze della Terra dell'Università degli Studi Milano-Bicocca
Locations
- Cernusco sul Naviglio
- Milan
- Italy
- Villa Alari
- Villa Alari-Visconti
- Naviglio Martesana
- Lombardy