Food waste is one of the world’s most pressing environmental challenges. Each year, millions of tonnes of food are discarded before ever reaching a plate. Squandering precious land, water, and energy while producing methane, a greenhouse gas more harmful than carbon dioxide. This paradox, where cultures that revere food allow so much of it to end up in landfill, was the catalyst for BARE, the Bio-Anaerobic-Rubbish-Eater. 

At its core, BARE is a biogas digester that converts discarded food into clean energy and fertiliser. Yet its impact extends far beyond utility, it also acts as a storytelling device.

Unlike conventional waste facilities hidden at the edges of cities, BARE is designed to be seen, touched, and experienced. Visitors are invited to step inside, to witness the digestive cycle, and to view the city from new perspectives. In doing so, BARE becomes a civic landmark, a sculpture, power station, and education centre all at once.