Belfast Community Plant Library
The Belfast Community Plant Library will include an interactive design installation, plant clinic and community co-design workshop bringing together designers, plant enthusiasts and the community to explore Belfast’s relationship with plant life and place.
The Belfast Community Plant Library is a collaborative initiative between Belfast Design Week and onebite Design Studio (Hong Kong, Singapore and the UK).
The project was inspired by an impromptu meeting between the two organisations in Hong Kong in 2024, where they discovered a shared set of values and a common vision for creating meaningful, plant-centred community spaces.
At the heart of the project will be an interactive design installation created by onebite Design Studio. Designed as a living, evolving space, the installation will invite participation from the public through an ongoing co-design process and during a dedicated community workshop. The structure will be sustainably manufactured by David Keys Woodworker using environmentally responsible materials.
The installation will be located in Bankmore Square during Culture Night on Friday 18 September. This public setting will encourage passersby to interact with and contribute to the project throughout the evening.
Visitors will be invited to bring their own plants and planters to add to the installation, share personal stories, photographs, and information connected to plants, or take home plants and plant-related knowledge gathered through the experience.
As part of Culture Night, a community co-design workshop will bring together designers, makers, volunteers, plant specialists, and local residents to collectively shape and build the installation. Participants will be encouraged to contribute local and native plants alongside stories and memories that reflect Belfast’s relationship with plant life and place.
Alongside the workshop, a drop-in Plant Clinic will support community connection, placemaking, and a sense of belonging. Local plant expert Jilly Dougan will share practical advice, offer plant care guidance, and help curate the placement of plants within the installation.
In the lead-up to the event, an online campaign will invite the public to submit stories, memories, and information about Belfast and its plant culture. We will work with a local illustrator to create a Belfast Community Plant Map that we will print and distribute during Culture Night. These contributions will also be shared digitally to promote the event at Culture Night and as part of the installation, creating an evolving archive of community voices and local plant knowledge.
