Hortus is finally here

Hortus is finally here

The long-awaited Harbour Esplanade glasshouse will soon open to the public.

Construction of the glasshouse, to be known as “Hortus”, started last month and is expected to open to the public in time for summer.

The project has been brought to life by Utopian Folk, a collaboration between Folk Architects’ Christie Petsinis and Tim Wilson and Utopian Slumps’ Melissa Loughnan, after the group was awarded a Places Victoria contract to activate the site.

Hortus will house a plant installation by artist Lauren Berkowitz and a cafe serving coffee and seasonal produce.

Located in front of Cow Up a Tree, Hortus is hoped to provide a communal outdoor space for residents, workers and visitors.

Ms Petsinis said the space would also be available for events and had already attracted plenty of interest from groups and businesses wanting to use the unique space.

“We hope that Hortus attracts visitors who are then encouraged to explore the rest of Docklands,” Ms Petsinis said.

According to Ms Petsinis, Hortus will be based on Harbour Esplanade for at least 12 months before the structure is relocated, potentially to another location in Docklands.

Utopian Folk is currently seeking donations of cutlery, chairs and tables to help with the fit out of Hortus.

Local residents who are doing a spring clean and have items to donate can contact Utopian Folk at [email protected]

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