A group of Indian and Italian architects has built a pavilion in southwest India using mycelium ? the fleshy part of a mushroom or other fungus ? to demonstrate how the material could be used to create temporary venues for major events.
Asif Rahman of Indian studio Beetles 3.3, and Giombattista Arredia and Mohamad Yassin of Italian architecture studio Yassin Arredia Design teamed up to create the Shell Mycelium installation in Fort Kochi, in the state of Kerala.

Their aim was to promote mycelium as an alternative construction material that is particularly suitable for building temporary structures, thanks to its environmentally friendly properties.
They believe it could be easily utilised to create temporary rather than permanent structures during major events, like international sports tournaments and world expos.
"In most of the cases the structures constructed are permanent, making use of heavy construction material," explained the team.
"This approach leads to many practical difficulties in demolition and disposal," they continued. "At the end of the event, after the entire world has danced and celebrated, the city remains a scarred body, devoid of life."
"We criticise these unconscious political choices, with living buildings that arise from nature and return to nature, as though they never existed."

In recent years, several architects and designers have experimented with using mycelium as a building material, in...