In the heart of Berlin, the Haus der Kulturen der Welt (HKW) continues its visionary architectural series, Shaped to the Measure of the People’s Songs, with its third iteration—the Ileum pavilion—opening on July 12, 2025. Designed by Ghanaian-Filipino architectural scientist Dr. Mae-Ling Lokko in collaboration with Argentine architect Gustavo Crembil, the pavilion reimagines the role of architecture in fostering ecological and social justice.
By integrating sustainable materials sourced from agricultural, industrial, and textile waste, Ileum challenges conventional architectural practices and invites reflection on humanity’s relationship with soil ecosystems. This article explores the pavilion’s innovative design, its material narrative, and its significance within the broader context of sustainable architecture.
A Vision Rooted in Ecological and Social Repair
The Ileum pavilion, named after the critical section of the human small intestine responsible for nutrient absorption, serves as a metaphor for architecture’s potential to process and transform by-products into life-sustaining systems. Drawing inspiration from Berlin’s Großes Tropenhaus—a large tropical greenhouse in the Botanischer Garten in Dahlem—the pavilion replaces the original iron and glass structure with a timber framework.
Its panelling system is a groundbreaking composite of biogenic and synthetic materials, including rice husks, fly ash from metal manufacturing, recycled solar panel glass fibers, and reclaimed cotton from Ghana’s Kantamanto market, one of the world’s largest repositories for second-hand clothing. These materials, sourced in collaboration with partners like The OR Foundation, Ricehouse, Opovate Ltd., and Magical Mushroom Company, embody a commitment to upcycling and circular design.
Dr. Lokko, an Assistant Professor at Yale University’s School of Architecture and the founder of Willow Technologies in Accra, Ghana, has long championed the use of agrowaste and biobased materials to address ecological and social challenges. Her work explores “generative justice,” a concept that emphasizes equitable and sustainable material cycles.
In Ileum, she and Crembil—an Associate Professor at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute known for his experimental approach to design—propose an architecture that not only minimizes environmental impact but also reimagines waste as a resource for rebuilding soil ecosystems and fostering community.
Design and Material Innovation
The Ileum pavilion stands as a temporary, open, and accessible structure in HKW’s Semra Ertan Garden, designed to encourage self-reflection and dialogue about collective responsibility. Its timber structure, crafted by architects Frederik Fuchs and Matthias Weis of ephem.eu, supports a panelling system that integrates by-products from 21st-century industries.
The use of rice husks and fly ash addresses agricultural and industrial waste, while recycled cotton from Kantamanto market celebrates discarded materials once integral to human life. This approach aligns with Lokko’s broader research, which focuses on the life cycle of non-toxic, low-carbon materials and their potential to drive sustainable economies.
The pavilion’s design process involved collaboration with Yale’s Center for Ecosystems in Architecture (Yale CEA), where Lokko directs doctoral research, as well as production partners like Alireza Zamani Samani and Oswaldo Chinchilla. The result is a structure that not only challenges the extractive histories of architecture but also proposes a model for regenerative design.
By weaving together materials from diverse industries, Ileum demonstrates how architecture can bridge global and local material economies, creating spaces that are both ecologically responsible and culturally resonant.
A Platform for Dialogue and Performance
The opening event on July 12, 2025, at 5:00 PM will feature a conversation with Lokko and Crembil, moderated by HKW curatorial assistant Emilienne Fernande Bodo. Joined by Daniel Quist, Creative Director at The OR Foundation, the discussion will explore the pavilion’s design and its material narratives, accompanied by soundbites from the upcoming music album Second Chance.
The event will conclude with an intimate live acoustic session by Ghanaian-German artist Marvin Brooks, whose performance will further animate the pavilion’s themes of memory, coexistence, and renewal.
The Ileum pavilion is part of HKW’s broader heimaten program, which examines themes of belonging and collective responsibility. Since its inception in 2023, the Shaped to the Measure of the People’s Songs series has invited artists and architects to create temporary pavilions that translate societal questions into spatial forms. Inspired by Hassan Fathy’s call for an architecture that reflects the “character of a community,” the series fosters experimental interventions that engage with Berlin’s urban and ecological context.
Global Impact and Recognition
Dr. Lokko’s work on Ileum builds on her extensive portfolio, which has been exhibited at prestigious venues like the Museum of Modern Art (New York), the Nobel Prize Museum (Stockholm), and the Triennale Milano. Her research, funded by organizations like the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and the SOM Foundation, has positioned her as a leading voice in sustainable architecture.
Similarly, Crembil’s interdisciplinary practice—recognized by institutions like MoMA and the Istanbul Design Biennial—brings a performative and activist lens to the project. Together, their collaboration on Ileum exemplifies a forward-thinking approach to architecture that prioritizes planetary justice.
The pavilion also resonates with themes explored in the 2025 Venice Architecture Biennale’s British Pavilion, where Lokko and Crembil contribute to GBR: Geology of Britannic Repair. This exhibition, curated by an Anglo-Kenyan team, examines architecture’s role in addressing colonial legacies and ecological challenges, further amplifying the global relevance of Ileum’s material and conceptual innovations.
A Call to Reimagine Architecture
The Ileum pavilion is more than a structure; it is a manifesto for a new kind of architecture—one that reckons with historical indifference to soil ecosystems and embraces the potential of waste as a resource.
By integrating materials from agriculture, industry, and textiles, Lokko and Crembil challenge the architectural status quo and invite visitors to reimagine how spaces can foster ecological and social repair. As part of HKW’s ongoing commitment to spatial experimentation, Ileum stands as a testament to the power of architecture to shape a more just and sustainable future.
For those in Berlin, the opening of Ileum on July 12, 2025, offers a unique opportunity to engage with this transformative project. Visit HKW for more details and to join the conversation about architecture’s role in rebuilding our relationship with the earth.
