AN unprecedented attraction that brings together artistry, ancient geology and engineering opens in Cape Town on 1 November. EARTHBOX is a world first – an immersive installation that takes visitors into the earth; travelling back through the layers of time to experience the world beneath our feet. Located on Lourensford Wine Estate in Somerset West, EARTHBOX is open for a limited six month duration from 1 November 2023 till 1 May 2024.
Visitors will descend into a 24-metre long underground chamber that takes them five metres below surface, placing them just above ground that is between 550 and 560 million years old. Escaping the noise and heat of a busy summer, the EARTHBOX excavated experience is one of finding quiet and awe through a voyage into the earth. Raw earth walls and floors bring visitors into close relationship with the textures, scent and gentle sensory experience of a silent world, a glimpse of deep time etched into the walls over millions of years.
The project is the first by international experiential studio The Dream Commission which is committed to topping up the current global quota of creativity and curiosity through exciting and unusual once-off projects. The planning for EARTHBOX began in 2021 and has been a phenomenal undertaking involving engineers, environmentalists, geologists, artists and designers. Along with geotechnical engineer, Patrick Beales from AECOM, The Dream Commission brought engineer Henry Fagan in to consult on the structure. Fagan’s eye for built projects that resonate, and even integrate, with their natural surroundings was a perfect fit for EARTHBOX. His previous projects include the “Boomslang” walkway at Kirstenbosch and Bosjes Chapel in Ceres.
Tickets for EARTHBOX start at R100 and range in price (according to the time and day). Book on Webtickets. Each ticket gives visitors access to the EARTHBOX chamber and time to enjoy the tranquil landscaped spaces above ground. Children under the age of five are not permitted in the chamber. Please note the experience is technology-free and the use of mobile phones is not permitted inside EARTHBOX. The EARTHBOX experience is wheelchair accessible.
For more information, click here.
PHOTO CREDIT: Gary van Wyk
