Salt Water Cities

Narrative and the guest experience for the UAE pavilion at the Floriade 2022 international horticultural exhibition 
in Almere, Netherlands.

Client: SHF (UAE)
Project by: Tellart
Partners: Marshmallow Laser Feast (Media), Pragma (Architecture) MANE (Scent)
Role: Design lead for experience and interactive media scopes

Project Overview

Titled 'Salt Water Cities', the UAE pavilion at Floriade 2022 presented a unique look at sustainability in Middle Eastern deserts.

Highlighting the use of salt-loving plants, the pavilion told the story of resilience and optimism in a way one country proves that even in the most challenging conditions, green living is possible.

Inside the Pavilion

Inside the pavilion, guests get to know the four plant protagonists that play key roles in the UAE coastal ecosystem. We worked with Van Tetterode glass studio to create glass sculptures that celebrate Salicornia, mangroves, microalgae, and seagrass as delicate and precious treasures.

Alongside these remarkable plants, we introduce the people in the UAE who are researching, protecting, and finding new ways to work with these plants for the benefit of humanity and nature.

Process

Tiny organisms that make up sea algae are called diatoms. As a glass sculpture, each of these beautiful microorganisms had been hand-modeled into a unique 3D shape.