On Greenhouses and the Making of Atmospheres

Broadly associated with the effects of climate change, the “greenhouse” term designates a building type that gains ground in contemporary design practices and demands architectural, technical, theoretical and aesthetic attention. This article explores the evolution of the greenhouse from a place of plant propagation to nature preservation to a vehicle of experimenta- tion into new ways of inhabiting the city. It focuses on how the incorporation of greenery into buildings, by means of large span glazed envelopes and regulated interiors, has brought forth new forms of together- ness between human and non-human organisms. In so doing, it investigates a new understanding of the nature-culture oppositional relationship, in which the condition of a living together intersects with novel definitions of beauty, calling for a reinterpretation of agency in architecture.