KURA 2026: Straw Walls Art in Rural Spain
Paisajeencontrado unveils KURA, a land art installation made of straw, earth, and native seeds featuring an amphitheater and experimental garden in Cáceres, Spain.
Stock photo for illustration only, not from the actual event
- KURA is a land art project by Studio Paisajeencontrado in Berrocalejo, Cáceres, Extremadura, Spain.
- Built using straw, earth, stones, and native seeds to form an amphitheater, garden, and walking path.
- Curved straw walls soften ambient sound, stabilize temperature, and frame ancient olive and holm oak trees.
- Collaborates with the BGV-UPM plant germplasm bank to preserve wild Mediterranean flora genetics.
Design studio Paisajeencontrado has launched KURA, a sensory land art installation located at La Nave Va, an open-air sculpture park in Berrocalejo, Cáceres, Extremadura, Spain. The project bridges contemporary art, architecture, and ecological preservation within a rural meadow.
Curated by Andrey Brito, the project brings together Studio Paisajeencontrado, visual artists Kika Goldstein and Kmilo Morales, and landscape architect Ismael Pizarro. Together, they designed a spatial layout defined by two curved straw walls that guide visitors through the natural landscape.
Stock photo for illustration only, not from the actual event
The straw walls shape a narrow passage that gradually opens up to reveal views of a centuries-old olive tree and an aging holm oak. Beyond framing the scenery, the straw structure alters the microclimate by dampening ambient sound and maintaining a stable temperature along the walkway.
Land art installations like KURA highlight the growing intersection between contemporary design and environmental conservation. By utilizing biodegradable materials such as straw and earth, artists can temporary alter landscapes while simultaneously fostering local biodiversity rather than disrupting it.
During the installation's inauguration at the spring equinox, participants sowed native wildflowers and grassland species—including Centaurea cyanus, Papaver rhoeas, and Plantago lanceolata—directly into the straw walls, allowing living vegetation to complete the amphitheater's semicircular geometry over time.
At the core of the installation lies a 200-square-meter natural meadow dedicated to botanical observation. An ongoing scientific program monitors the germination, flowering, and fruiting cycles of Mediterranean grassland species while testing various land management techniques.
Stock photo for illustration only, not from the actual event
Furthermore, the team collaborates with the Plant Germplasm Bank ‘César Gómez Campo’ at the Polytechnic University of Madrid (BGV-UPM) to store collected native seeds off-site, aiding the conservation of wild plant genetic resources and ongoing Mediterranean flora research.
KURA functions simultaneously as an outdoor artwork, a performance space, and an ecological field station. As its materials and vegetation evolve with the seasons, the installation connects visitors directly to rural knowledge, agricultural cycles, and local biodiversity.
Source: designboom
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