After Thom Mayne’s introduction, Winka Dubbeldam discusses the global context of the Anthropocene Era, in which human activity determines conditions on earth. She discusses alternative traditions of building with nature in the Netherlands, and pre-Columbian Mexico, and the phenomenon of technologically-inflected natural mutations, which she identifies as "hopeful monsters” (e.g. the sunflowers remediating the soil around Fukushima).

She describes winning, in partnership with !melk urban design and landscape architecture firm, and Thornton Tomasetti structural and environmental engineers, the competition for a masterplan and seven buildings in Hangzhou for the 2022 Asian Games. The brief required 85% of the 116 acre site to be park.

Their strategy was to think of think of the project as a park that would be a permanent part of the city, and only temporarily loaned to the Asian Games. They investigated the local biome, and planted native plant species – which encouraged the return of native birds and a dragonfly.

The team also employed a zero-earth strategy, minimizing soil removal, and designed underground and partially-buried earth structures – creating a softly undulating artificial landscape.

Dubbeldam describes how they approached the buildings as hybrid taxonomies: neither single-purpose, nor multi-functional neutral spaces. Hence the hybrid stadium is both an arena and a theater.

She describes the “Valley Village” that connects the two ends of the park as a constructed landscape, containing restaurants, fitness centers, shops, cinemas, art galleries and two underground parking garages.

She characterizes the smaller, 5000 seat, stadium as land art: a big wing shading views and a field suitable for field hockey, basketball and soccer.

Dubbeldam concludes by noting that this project is covered in detail in her just-published book, “Monsters & Mutants”, designed by Ben Fehrman-Lee.