Mushroom Wing - Botanical Garden Addition

A theoretical addition to New York Botanical Garden focused on fungi, this project was created as part of a redesign assignment during my freshman year of undergraduate study.

The New York Botanical Garden emphasizes the beauty of the natural world through preservation, education, and ecological sustainability. My design builds upon the site’s existing Victorian-era glasswork while introducing a greater sense of whimsy and imagination into the new wing.

Mushrooms are only the visible “fruit” of a much larger fungal organism hidden beneath the soil. Below the surface, mycelial networks transmit nutrients, information, and resources essential to the survival of fungal life. These networks also form symbiotic relationships with the root systems of nearly 80–90% of plant species, creating an interconnected system that supports entire ecosystems.

This design explores ideas of scale by making what is typically invisible abundantly visible. The goal of the space is not only to celebrate the beauty of fungi themselves, but also to emphasize their essential role within the broader world of plants and ecological systems.