In 2026, the gigantic flying greenhouse of the Aéroflorale II lands at La Halle de La Machine. From February 7 onward, Les Voyages de l’Aéroflorale II presents the adventure stories of this strange aircraft and its scientific laboratory.
L’Aéroflorale II : journey ‘s stories
Buenos Aires, Santiago de Chile, Anvers, Turin, Calais, Liège, Nantes, Hambourg, Paris, Bruxelles, Montréal, Aix-en Provence… After traveling around the world, the Aéroflorale II, built and operated by La Machine Company, lands at La Halle de La Machine. On board the flying greenhouse, a team of 17 researchers and explorers travels the globe to collect plants with strong “phytovoltaic” potential. Phytovoltaics refers to the ability of certain plants to produce electricity.
Stopping over in Toulouse throughout the whole of 2026, the explorers have entrusted the keys to their incredible botanical greenhouse to the Halle de La Machine’s Véritables Machinistes. A photo exhibition also traces their adventures at the far ends of the world.
the greenhouse and the botanical laboratory
15 meters high, 10 meters wide, 8 tons of metal. The impressive flying greenhouse is the true keystone of the Plant Expedition. Composed of four legs, a central greenhouse, and an aerostat with five balloons, the Aéroflorale II moves and flies thanks to the energy of the specimens on board and the special gas contained in its balloons.
At its base lies a high-flying botanical laboratory: explore the autonomous module, the machine that makes apples blush, the one that strokes plants, or even the one that allows you to eavesdrop on them. These devices are used to experiment with the causes and effects of phytovoltaics.
the green forest
There can be no phytovoltaics without plants. True master gardeners of the Aéroflorale II, Atelier Méridiem will support the Toulouse chapter of the Aéroflorale II adventure by contributing their expertise and plants to the implementation of the scientific experiments. Ficus robusta, Fatsia japonica, Philodendron Imperial Green, Monstera deliciosa, and Begonia Rex ‘Macarena’, among many others—more than 1,300 plants in total—have thus been installed thanks to them, in, on, and around the Aéroflorale II. Lovers of living things and lush landscapes, they will watch over this efflorescence throughout the exhibition.
Come immerse yourself in thrilling scientific adventures, extraordinary botanical escapades, and other stories from a spectacular travel journal, starting February 7, 2026, at La Halle de La Machine.
From 7th february 2026 to 3th of january 2027 – Halle de La Machine in Toulouse
Opening from tuesday to sunday – from 10:00 a.m to 6:00 p.m
