Wunderkammer

A Wunderkammer, or wonder-room, as we know it from past centuries, is a collection of marvelous things. Wonder, amazement and whole-hearted, curiosity-driven learning still now retain their power. The fascination that was once felt for rarities in a cabinet of curiosities is now reflected in the fascination aroused by LAND’s work with nature as it plans and implements concepts for people. Over three decades of LAND’s ideas, plans and projects are gathered together in this Wunderkammer, created in 2021 at Via Varese 12 in Milan

Urban next to rural, ideal next to practical, local next to global – it’s the same concept as the traditional cabinet of curiosities, which never hesitated to put natural objects next to artifacts, handicrafts next to art. But LAND’s Wunderkammer collection not only looks back, but also opens up to constantly changing future horizons. It offers exhibition space (like the 2023/2024 Green Rays exhibition), initiates talks (like the 2022 talk on urban living and temporary uses), and becomes the last stop for walks to experience the city on foot.

And this ultimately turns the Wunderkammer into a place to wander: an ever-changing journey through the diverse landscapes of LAND.

“Green rays break up the old city and connect small, often forgotten fragments of nature with abandoned post-industrial open spaces. They create a framework of green/blue infrastructure that lights up the city.” Andreas Kipar on the Raggi Verdi (Green Rays) exhibition in the 2023/2024 Wunderkammer.

Twenty years ago LAND developed the Green Rays strategy, which has since caught on worldwide, as an exhibition (2023/2024) in the Wunderkammer underscores. Green Rays open up pathways from the center outward through the city and lead out into the surrounding countryside. Because according to LAND‘s Green Rays manifesto, public spaces “must be reclaimed so that everyone has the opportunity to experience the city.”

The Wunderkammer as an opportunity to show how nature and landscape guide the temporary use of the changing city, provide a preview of the transformation underway, help create a sense of community, integrate with design, and open up new perspectives for the future: a greener, more resilient future based on integrating nature into multiple aspects of our lives.