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MycoMuseum
MycoMuseum
Venice, Italy
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MycoMuseum
Venice, Italy
Firm
STATUS
Built
YEAR
2025
SIZE
0 sqft - 1000 sqft
BUDGET
$10K - 50K
Project Title: MycoMuseum by Anomalia and MYCL
Exhibition: La Biennale di Venezia 2025 – 19th International Architecture Exhibition
Project Description:
Reimagining Architecture with Fungi: India–Indonesia Collaboration Showcases MycoMuseum at La Biennale 2025
MycoMuseum is an experimental, cross-disciplinary installation that reimagines how we build in the 21st century. Presented by Anomalia (India) and MYCL (Indonesia), it is part of the Material Bank: Matters Make Sense pavilion, curated by Prof. Ingrid Maria Paoletti and led by Carlo Ratti, under the broader theme Intelligens. Natural. Artificial. Collective..
At a time when architecture must grapple not only with form and function but with planetary survival, MycoMuseum puts forth a radical proposition: building with fungi. The installation showcases MycoBlox—25x25x25 cm modular blocks grown from mushroom mycelium and agricultural waste. These lightweight, biodegradable units represent a new material paradigm—carbon-sequestering, regenerative, and richly ecological.
A Historical Context and Ecological Reckoning
The transition from nomadic to settled communities marked the dawn of civilization, laying the groundwork for social, cultural, political, and economic systems through the medium of architecture. The history of architecture has always been the history of materials—from stone and clay to steel and concrete. The Industrial Revolution introduced an era of rapid innovation, transforming how and what we build. However, in the Anthropocene, the same materials that once symbolized progress now endanger our environment.
Driven by mass production, consumption, and planned obsolescence, our linear material economy creates enormous waste and environmental degradation. This duality—of creation and destruction—calls for a critical pivot to circular practices that realign built environments with nature's rhythms.
The MycoMuseum Manifesto
MycoMuseum is a call to reawaken our collective consciousness to the intelligence of nature. It demonstrates a new material logic, one that is grown, not manufactured; one that decomposes, regenerates, and returns to the earth. Through this exhibit, fungi become both medium and metaphor—offering lessons in resilience, adaptability, and regeneration.
Selected through the Space for Ideas Open Call, participants Bhakti V. Loonawat and Suyash Sawant bring a powerful voice from the Global South to a Biennale where neither India nor Indonesia has national representation. MycoMuseum is a decentralized, community-driven production model that challenges industrial norms and affirms the power of grassroots innovation.
Four Research Trajectories
The project unfolds along four key research trajectories:
Biological Intelligence
Investigating mycelium in its natural context—its ecological behavior, optimal growth conditions, and cross-disciplinary applications from medicine to biofabrication. Agricultural waste becomes the substrate, forming a matrix of mycelial composites with varied mechanical properties.
Material Science & Structural Potential
A scientific inquiry into mycelium’s viability as a building material, exploring its physical and mechanical properties—compressive strength, insulation, fire resistance, and its potential as a lightweight, load-bearing component.
Design & Modularity
Form follows function and growth. This trajectory focuses on the single unit—MycoBlox—designed for structural integrity, modular flexibility, visual porosity, and optimized mycelial growth. Aggregations of these blocks explore new spatial archetypes and systemic design languages.
Circularity & Regeneration
From crop residue to fully compostable building block, mycelium offers a democratic, biodegradable material alternative. The exhibit embodies nature’s cycle of creation, degeneration, and regeneration—countering capitalist, extractive models with circular, community-centered alternatives.
Ecological Impact & Performance
The installation's environmental footprint is deliberate and accountable:
142 kg of agricultural waste repurposed
522 kgCO₂-e emissions prevented from crop burning
50.2 kgCO₂-e of carbon sequestered
Each block weighs just 1.6 kg yet withstands 1.55 tons of compressive force
The structure uses dowel joinery for easy disassembly and composting—adhering to the Circularity Manifesto. A hybrid assembly of mycelium and concrete reflects a conceptual transition from industrial rigidity to organic adaptability.
A Platform for Regenerative Futures
MycoMuseum is not just an exhibit—it’s a platform for interdisciplinary collaboration, inviting architects, scientists, farmers, and policymakers into dialogue. It imagines a future where buildings are not merely constructed but cultivated—modular, intelligent, and aligned with ecological principles.
At La Biennale 2025, MycoMuseum poses a fundamental question:
What if buildings could breathe, grow, and return to the earth?
It is a living vision—of architecture that is grown, not built, that regenerates rather than extracts, and that nurtures rather than exploits. It is a glimpse into a future where our material choices reflect our deepest ecological values.
From Cupcake Trays to Venice: The Anomalia Story
Anomalia began in a Mumbai kitchen, where founders Bhakti V. Loonawat and Suyash Sawant grew mycelium in cupcake trays using agricultural waste. Fascinated by fungi’s regenerative potential, they explored its possibilities as a building material—one that could decompose, regenerate, and align architecture with nature.
Their early experiments evolved from makeshift molds to design systems, questioning how architecture could shift from extractive to ecological. This vision led them to collaborate with MYCL (Indonesia), merging MYCL’s scientific expertise with Anomalia’s architectural innovation. Together, they developed MycoBlox—modular, mycelium-grown building units.
This partnership gave rise to MycoMuseum, now showcased at the 2025 Venice Architecture Biennale. What started in cupcake trays became a global platform for regenerative design.
Anomalia (Design and Research)
Bhakti V Loonawat
Suyash Sawant
MYCL (Research and Production)
Robbi Zidna IIman
Ronaldiaz Hartantyo
Rizqi Paradila Akbarianti
M Yusuf Nurhadi
Supporters:
Tumurun Museum, Indonesia
P4G
Tata Metal, Indonesia
Godrej Design Lab
HYBEC
Namrata Foundation
Photography : Silvia Miralles Perez @silvia.miralles
Instagram : @anomalia.in @mycl.bio
Exhibition: La Biennale di Venezia 2025 – 19th International Architecture Exhibition
Project Description:
Reimagining Architecture with Fungi: India–Indonesia Collaboration Showcases MycoMuseum at La Biennale 2025
MycoMuseum is an experimental, cross-disciplinary installation that reimagines how we build in the 21st century. Presented by Anomalia (India) and MYCL (Indonesia), it is part of the Material Bank: Matters Make Sense pavilion, curated by Prof. Ingrid Maria Paoletti and led by Carlo Ratti, under the broader theme Intelligens. Natural. Artificial. Collective..
At a time when architecture must grapple not only with form and function but with planetary survival, MycoMuseum puts forth a radical proposition: building with fungi. The installation showcases MycoBlox—25x25x25 cm modular blocks grown from mushroom mycelium and agricultural waste. These lightweight, biodegradable units represent a new material paradigm—carbon-sequestering, regenerative, and richly ecological.
A Historical Context and Ecological Reckoning
The transition from nomadic to settled communities marked the dawn of civilization, laying the groundwork for social, cultural, political, and economic systems through the medium of architecture. The history of architecture has always been the history of materials—from stone and clay to steel and concrete. The Industrial Revolution introduced an era of rapid innovation, transforming how and what we build. However, in the Anthropocene, the same materials that once symbolized progress now endanger our environment.
Driven by mass production, consumption, and planned obsolescence, our linear material economy creates enormous waste and environmental degradation. This duality—of creation and destruction—calls for a critical pivot to circular practices that realign built environments with nature's rhythms.
The MycoMuseum Manifesto
MycoMuseum is a call to reawaken our collective consciousness to the intelligence of nature. It demonstrates a new material logic, one that is grown, not manufactured; one that decomposes, regenerates, and returns to the earth. Through this exhibit, fungi become both medium and metaphor—offering lessons in resilience, adaptability, and regeneration.
Selected through the Space for Ideas Open Call, participants Bhakti V. Loonawat and Suyash Sawant bring a powerful voice from the Global South to a Biennale where neither India nor Indonesia has national representation. MycoMuseum is a decentralized, community-driven production model that challenges industrial norms and affirms the power of grassroots innovation.
Four Research Trajectories
The project unfolds along four key research trajectories:
Biological Intelligence
Investigating mycelium in its natural context—its ecological behavior, optimal growth conditions, and cross-disciplinary applications from medicine to biofabrication. Agricultural waste becomes the substrate, forming a matrix of mycelial composites with varied mechanical properties.
Material Science & Structural Potential
A scientific inquiry into mycelium’s viability as a building material, exploring its physical and mechanical properties—compressive strength, insulation, fire resistance, and its potential as a lightweight, load-bearing component.
Design & Modularity
Form follows function and growth. This trajectory focuses on the single unit—MycoBlox—designed for structural integrity, modular flexibility, visual porosity, and optimized mycelial growth. Aggregations of these blocks explore new spatial archetypes and systemic design languages.
Circularity & Regeneration
From crop residue to fully compostable building block, mycelium offers a democratic, biodegradable material alternative. The exhibit embodies nature’s cycle of creation, degeneration, and regeneration—countering capitalist, extractive models with circular, community-centered alternatives.
Ecological Impact & Performance
The installation's environmental footprint is deliberate and accountable:
142 kg of agricultural waste repurposed
522 kgCO₂-e emissions prevented from crop burning
50.2 kgCO₂-e of carbon sequestered
Each block weighs just 1.6 kg yet withstands 1.55 tons of compressive force
The structure uses dowel joinery for easy disassembly and composting—adhering to the Circularity Manifesto. A hybrid assembly of mycelium and concrete reflects a conceptual transition from industrial rigidity to organic adaptability.
A Platform for Regenerative Futures
MycoMuseum is not just an exhibit—it’s a platform for interdisciplinary collaboration, inviting architects, scientists, farmers, and policymakers into dialogue. It imagines a future where buildings are not merely constructed but cultivated—modular, intelligent, and aligned with ecological principles.
At La Biennale 2025, MycoMuseum poses a fundamental question:
What if buildings could breathe, grow, and return to the earth?
It is a living vision—of architecture that is grown, not built, that regenerates rather than extracts, and that nurtures rather than exploits. It is a glimpse into a future where our material choices reflect our deepest ecological values.
From Cupcake Trays to Venice: The Anomalia Story
Anomalia began in a Mumbai kitchen, where founders Bhakti V. Loonawat and Suyash Sawant grew mycelium in cupcake trays using agricultural waste. Fascinated by fungi’s regenerative potential, they explored its possibilities as a building material—one that could decompose, regenerate, and align architecture with nature.
Their early experiments evolved from makeshift molds to design systems, questioning how architecture could shift from extractive to ecological. This vision led them to collaborate with MYCL (Indonesia), merging MYCL’s scientific expertise with Anomalia’s architectural innovation. Together, they developed MycoBlox—modular, mycelium-grown building units.
This partnership gave rise to MycoMuseum, now showcased at the 2025 Venice Architecture Biennale. What started in cupcake trays became a global platform for regenerative design.
Anomalia (Design and Research)
Bhakti V Loonawat
Suyash Sawant
MYCL (Research and Production)
Robbi Zidna IIman
Ronaldiaz Hartantyo
Rizqi Paradila Akbarianti
M Yusuf Nurhadi
Supporters:
Tumurun Museum, Indonesia
P4G
Tata Metal, Indonesia
Godrej Design Lab
HYBEC
Namrata Foundation
Photography : Silvia Miralles Perez @silvia.miralles
Instagram : @anomalia.in @mycl.bio
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