Seasons Through the Looking Glass

C J Lim / Studio 8 Architects

Tunnel Entrance installation
28 March 2008 - 29 March 2009
Admission free

'A large rose-tree stood near the entrance of the garden; the roses growing on it were white, but there were three gardeners at it, busily painting them red. Suddenly their eyes chanced to fall upon Alice, as she stood watching them. "Would you tell me, please," said Alice, a little timidly, "why you are painting those roses?"'

Lewis Carroll, Alice's Adventures in Wonderland (1865)

Alice's adventures began when she fell into a tunnel that unexpectedly twisted downwards to form a deep well. She landed abruptly on a heap of sticks and dry leaves. This notion of mythical underground spaces is the subject of C J Lim's installation, a multi-sensory and tactile intervention which explores the spatial possibilities of a subterranean garden.

Although underground plants are not uncommon in London, they usually have ducts and boiler rooms rather than flowers and trees. C J Lim's underground garden consists of trunks and twigs constructed from honeycomb paper sandwich panels. His roses are made from rolled recycled garments. During the installation's lifecycle, these fabric samples will be subtly altered every few months to reflect the changing seasons.

CJ Lim is the founding director of Studio 8 Architects and professor at the Bartlett, University College London. The practice's innovative designs focus on environmental sustainability programmes and interpretations of culture. The British Council chose Studio 8 to represent the UK at the Venice Architecture Biennale in 2004.

Project team:
Studio 8 Architects Ltd: C J Lim with Barry Cho
Techniker Ltd (structural engineers): Matthew Wells with Francesco Ferrari