Earthseed Dome by Lily Kwong opens on January 17 in San Francisco, combining ecology, architecture and 3D-printed ground stones into a living, regenerative public installation.
Launching on January 17, Earthseed Dome opens to the public at Transamerica Redwood Parkbringing together ecology, architecture and advanced manufacturing in one quiet, ambitious installation in the heart of downtown San Francisco. Presented by ICA San Francisco as part of its nomadic, citywide exhibition modelEarthseed Dome continues the institution’s commitment to meeting audiences wherever they are. The launch coincides with San Francisco Art Week, when the city pauses to remember how much creative risk it enjoys.
Created by Bay Area artist Lily Kwong, Earthseed Dome is not something that simply appears fully formed. It is being built slowly, in public, using 3D printed foundation stones with seeds embedded in them. Yes, earth. Yes, seeds. And yes, robots.
The manufacturing process is where it gets especially interesting for design-conscious readers. The dome is produced using robotic arm technology developed in close collaboration with Atelio, a fabrication studio known for pushing digital making into new material territory, and WASP, the Italian pioneers behind large-scale 3D printing systems specially designed for ground-based constructions. This is not technology as spectacle. It’s precision engineering applied to one of the oldest building materials humans have ever used.
Watching the dome come together feels part construction site, part performance. The bricks are printed on site, layer by layer, bringing the process to a point and making the building act as compelling as the finished structure. If Brutalism were to go on a regenerative design retreat, this could be the outcome.
Once completed, the structure does not stop working. Embedded seeds will germinate over time, allowing the dome to evolve with the seasons. Visitors are encouraged to participate in the work and act as seed bearers, expanding the project beyond the park itself. Less ‘look but don’t touch’, more ‘participate and come back’.
At its core, Earthseed Dome is a reminder that innovation and responsibility don’t have to sit on opposite sides of the table. With Atelio and WASP at the helm of manufacturing, the project shows how advanced tools can support regenerative thinking rather than overwhelm it. High-tech, low ego and refreshingly grounded. Literal.
Earthseed Dome opens on January 17 and will be on display at Transamerica Redwood Park until summer 2026. If you happen to be in San Francisco and nearby, look for the structure quietly growing beneath the iconic Transamerica Pyramid as the rest of the city rushes by.
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