Eni at FuoriSalone 2019 with The Circular Garden

San Donato Milanese, 8 April 2019 – Eni is presenting its own installation, The Circular Garden, as part of Interni magazine’s Human Spaces exhibition at FuoriSalone 2019, at the Botanical Garden of Brera in Milan today. The installation itself was designed by the international design and innovation studio Carlo Ratti Associati in collaboration with some of Europe’s top mycology experts.

The installation aims to highlight Eni’s commitment to and innovations in the field of the circular economy, offering a number of practical opportunities for moving beyond the current linear economic system. In order to achieve this, the installation experiments with the use of an unusual construction material: fungus. The fibrous root of the fungus is known as the mycelium and has been used here to create a series of arch-shaped architectural structures within the Botanical Garden, each dedicated to a different Eni initiative relating to the circular economy, from energy efficiency to mobility.

Inspired by the symbolism of the walled gardens of the Middle Ages, the installation focuses on natural architecture created from the mycelium, which grows and develops organically. At the end of the exhibition, the structures will be dismantled and returned to the land, thus beginning a new virtuous cycle of growth and providing an example of how the circular economy can influence architecture.

The project is based on three components. The first is the creation of an experimental space that helps FuoriSalone visitors understand the new opportunities that the circular economy presents and their impact on urban life. The second component focuses on new innovations in materials to promote further sustainability. Last, but not least, is experimenting with more responsive architecture that harnesses natural materials.

Eni’s involvement in the exhibition reflects the company’s strategic commitment to an increasingly sustainable energy model for the future, in addition to applying the principles of the circular economy to its own operations. The circular economy is based on the transformation of existing assets and the development of innovative technological and industrial solutions that result in a reduction in the consumption of raw materials, a lower environmental impact, and the recovery and recycling of scrap and waste.

The installation will introduce visitors to a series of in-depth analyses on energy efficiency and showcase Eni gas e luce’s CappottoMio: the innovative regeneration service for apartment buildings. This service is the result of strong collaboration between the Company and its partners. CappottoMio focuses on providing insulation for buildings and new energy solutions for thermal power units. It benefits from all the tax advantages provided by the ecobonus and sismabonus schemes.

The apartment buildings that install CappottoMio will therefore have the opportunity to immediately reduce the initial cost of installation thanks to the credit transfer option, and will also benefit from a tax deduction, without having to wait the usual 10 years.