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London-based architecture and innovation firm ecoLogicStudio , led by Claudia Pasquero and Marco Poletto, has designed AirBubble for Otrivin Breathe Clean. The innovation brings to life the world’s first biotechnological playground to integrate air-purifying micro-algae.
AirBubble creates a purified microclimate for children to play in, a true bubble of clean air in the centre of Warsaw (Poland).
It incorporates a cylindrical timber structure wrapped in an ETFE membrane protecting 52 glass algae reactors. This creates a real urban algae greenhouse. The space is equipped with ropes, foot pumps and bouncy spheres, and can function as both playground and outdoor classroom. The white bubbling noise of the algae gardening system masks the surrounding urban noise to provide a calming atmosphere in which to play and interact.
The ETFE membrane – an evolution of the PhotoSynthetica urban curtain system presented in Dublin in 2018 by ecoLogicStudio – controls the microclimate inside AirBubble. The inverted conical roof membrane further stimulates the air recirculation and natural ventilation, which in turn keeps the play area clean.
The AirBubble monitoring system integrates urban air pollution sensors and is connected to a data processing platform capable of comparing measurements in real time and of highlighting the Air Quality Index for six core pollutants
The peak reduction rate is an impressive 83%. This figure has been calculated by comparing readings from a pollution sensor located outside AirBubble with real-time data feeds from a monitoring device placed inside.
The AirBubble hosts 52 large bioreactors in borosilicate glass which contain 520 litres of living green Chlorella sp algae cultures that can filter a flow of polluted air of 200 litres/minute. While the liquid medium washes particles, the algae actively eat the polluting molecules as well as carbon dioxide to then release fresh clean oxygen.