For the 2022 edition of HIX London, themed “Great things will grow,” we created an experimental installation: a bar that would physically grow before the event and serve as a showcase for mycelium’s potential in design. In collaboration with La Succulente and French artist Côme Di Meglio, we explored the artistic use of mycelium.

Our Creative Director, Ruud Belmans, drew inspiration from the stillness of the COVID-19 pandemic, a time when the world seemed to pause. In response, he set out to create something that symbolized regeneration. The mycelium bar became a living testament to the idea that, even in the quietest moments, nature and creativity persist.

We drew inspiration for the mycelium bar’s design from shapes and textures found in and on shells. Its overall form has a sacral feel—almost like a tomb—a metaphor for burying a traditional way of thinking and reflecting on new ideas when designing spaces. Today, the bar continues to evolve naturally in London's Royal Botanic Gardens, offering visitors a living example of design and organic transformation.