As our urban world is filled with constant auditory and visual stimuli, our sense of smell can be used to bypass our active cognition and re-sensitize us to the present moment. The petrichor garden creates tiny biospheres which hold soil from different ecosystems and climates.
When it rains. openings in the ceiling let the moisture soak the ground and release the aerosol compounds created from their interaction. Turning these gardens into bubbles of scent from different regions of the planet, retaining that smell for an extended period.
In large urban areas where populations are comprised of transplants, these chambers can bring back the scent of home and engage our nervous system to soften and release built up emotion. Using our senses to recenter our experience and take us out of mind processing. When it can be hard to uphold a mindful practice in city life, whether it be physical activity or meditation, using our olfactory systems can override our analytical brain and bring us into the present quickly to help the process.
* Renderings generated by Vizcom