Originally presented at the 18th International Architecture Exhibition of La Biennale di Venezia 2023, One Hundred and Fifty Thousand Trees explores the lifecycle of timber architecture through the lens of Sara Kulturhus in Skellefteå, Sweden. The installation examines the building’s construction, material supply chains, and the ecological impact on the forests from which its timber was sourced. By asking whether a balance can be struck between using forests as a resource and preserving fragile ecosystems, the project provokes critical dialogue on sustainability in contemporary architecture.
White Arkitekter’s “One Hundred and Fifty Thousand Trees” showcased in Munich exhibition
White Arkitekter’s thought-provoking installation One Hundred and Fifty Thousand Trees is currently on display at the Trees, Time, Architecture exhibition at the Architekturmuseum der TUM in Munich. This exhibition, running from March 13 to September 14, 2025, brings together diverse perspectives on the intricate relationship between trees, time, and the built environment.
One Hundred and Fifty Thousand Trees at the 18th International Architecture Exhibition of La Biennale di Venezia 2023.
The exhibition as a whole investigates how trees and architecture can coexist in an evolving world. It highlights innovative projects such as the living root bridges of the Khasi people in India, as well as emerging architectural approaches that integrate living trees into built structures.
Multiple voices are heard in One Hundred and Fifty Thousand Trees, from ecology, technology, activism and carbon discourse which illustrate the complexities and contradictions within current approaches to counter the climate and biodiversity emergencies which we are all facing.
Trees, Time, Architecture underscores the urgency of rethinking our relationship with natural systems, showcasing interdisciplinary solutions that blend scientific research, indigenous knowledge, and technological advancements. Through projects like One Hundred and Fifty Thousand Trees, White Arkitekter continues to challenge conventional approaches to material use and advocate for a more symbiotic future between architecture and the natural world.
One Hundred and Fifty Thousand Trees reaches beyond the building to include the landscapes of timber extraction, and through connecting hard data with a real place, look to reveal what is often intangible. Large-scale films present the reality of the industrial forest, the efficiency of manufacture and the quotidian use of the public building at true scale.