The Living Chapel: Eco-Design Installation at Rome's Orto Botanico

The Living Chapel, a sustainable design installation inspired by the Porziuncola of Assisi, opened at the Orto Botanico in Rome during the UN's World Environment Day. Conceived by Australian-Canadian musician Julian Darius Revie, the project fuses art, music, and nature into a living architecture. The structure, built from recycled aluminum and powered by solar panels, features water droplets that create music on still drums. The international team included architect Gillean Denny, over 100 students from Pennsylvania State University and Pennsylvania College of Technology, and local coordination by architect Consuelo Fabriani. The installation aims to promote ecological awareness, support the UN's Trillion Tree Campaign, and create 'Laudato Si' Gardens' worldwide. After summer, plants from the chapel will be distributed in Italy for urban reforestation. The project was supported by the Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development, FAO, UNEP's Faith for Earth, and other organizations.