Berlin landscape architect Thilo Folkerts and Canadian artist Rodney LaTourelle designed the Jardin de la Connaissance back in 2010 as an installation for the International Festival des Jardins de Metis in Quebec. As time passed, the some 40,000 books and wood plates making up the walls of their garden have decayed and dissolved, while new life has also found its way in to the space. “Seedlings and insects have activated the walls, carpets, and benches,” explain its creators. “Mushrooms – those cultivated and those who have come by themselves – have made the garden their home. Many of the originally bright colors of the books have faded. Culture is fading back into nature.” For the next phase of their project, Folkerts and LaTourelle plan to use moss from the surrounding forest to create a graffiti effect on the structures’ walls. Click through to check out some additional photos of their work-in-progress, and let us know in the comments what you think of the concept. Does it bother you to see books used in this manner?

Image credit: Dezeen

Image credit: Dezeen

Image credit: Dezeen

Image credit: Dezeen

Image credit: Dezeen