Bir Tasarım Problemi - From Cappadocia to Venice

https://youtu.be/7-LGYOipAnM?si=Tugd_AiTDaER2kPx

Mono Earth co-founder Çağlar İşbilir was invited to speak at Bir Tasarım Problemi, sharing the story behind the “İn” installation presented at the Venice Architecture Biennale.

The talk began with a simple yet powerful idea: to understand earth not just as a surface we step on, but as a layered material shaped over millions of years. Drawing from the sedimentary landscapes of Cappadocia, the presentation unfolded as a journey—from the ground we inhabit, to the spaces we build.

At Mono Earth, this relationship with earth is not abstract. Over years of working in Cappadocia, we have developed an evolving soil archive, documenting different compositions, textures, and behaviors of the material. Each project becomes part of this growing inventory, and each layer carries its own story.

The “İn” installation began as a design problem. How can a material as heavy and dense as earth be reimagined within a fragile context? The challenge was to construct an immersive earth space inside a 700-year-old building at the Venice Biennale—without exceeding structural limits.

Rather than asking whether it was possible, the process began with a different question: what if it were?

Back in the studio, we started experimenting. Earth, known for its mass and rigidity, needed to become lighter, more flexible, and more responsive. Through a series of trials—working with textiles, testing mixtures, observing drying processes—we began to understand how the material could shift beyond its conventional form.

What emerged was a layered system built through multiple mixtures and techniques, transforming earth into a surface that could be both immersive and structural. Each step required recalibration: weight calculations, material behavior, drying time, and spatial stability.

The production process extended from Cappadocia to Venice. While a large-scale structure was being prepared on site, hundreds of soil mixtures were developed in the studio. Every layer was tested, measured, and refined before being transported and applied.

In Venice, the installation was built over an intense ten-day period. Working collectively, layer by layer, the space gradually took form—each surface carrying the trace of those who shaped it.

The result was not only a structure, but an environment. A space that could be entered, touched, and experienced. A space where earth was no longer a distant material, but something immediate and present.

For us, the project reflects an ongoing question:

Can we begin to rediscover our own planet through the materials we work with?