BOOKcycle

Authors’ Comment

Temporary Mycelium Structures Grown on Recycled Cellulose Substrate for Library Spaces

This installation explores the use of mycelium as a renewable architectural material, contributing to the broader conversation on the future of libraries through a series of experimental prototypes. The proposed table, seating element, lighting fixture and partition wall are made from mycelium blocks grown on recycled cellulose-based substrates.

Designed as a scalable prototype, the system combines the functionality of a bookshelf with the expressive qualities of a design feature, allowing for flexible assembly in a variety of spatial configurations.

The design leverages the unique properties of mycelium as a construction material—lightweight, durable, compostable—and proposes a tactile, living aesthetic that invites dialogue on the future of sustainable design. Each block becomes an active component in a material ecosystem that breathes, decomposes naturally, and can be reintegrated into the cycle of nature.

The exhibition is part of an ongoing applied research project aimed at reimagining library spaces as community hubs—living structures open to future-oriented thinking by giving new value to past resources.