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2. Leonardo's City

Bionic City design scientist Melissa Sterry assesses how Da Vinci learned from nature to build a better urban environment.

Melissa Sterry, the design scientist behind the concept of Bionic City, visits Milan to discover the genius of Leonardo Da Vinci.

For Melissa, the trip is as much about the legacy Leonardo has left to urban planning as it is about seeing his iconic painting The Last Supper.

She visits some of the most important Da Vinci sites in Milan including the Ambrosiana Library which houses the largest collection of Leonardo's drawings and writings, and the Codex Atlanticus focusing on his talents as engineer, scientist and inventor.

Melissa discovers a connection with the Renaissance polymath in the use of the natural world to influence built environments.

Meanwhile at Windsor Castle print room, which houses another of the world's major collection of Leonardo papers, Head of Prints and Drawings Martin Clayton shows maps which demonstrate his talent for city planning.

Producer: Sara Parker

Executive Producer: Samir Shah

A Juniper Connect production for BBC Radio 4, first broadcast in April 2019.

Available now

14 minutes

Last on

Tue 4 Nov 202509:30

Broadcasts

  • Tue 30 Apr 201913:45
  • Sun 14 Aug 202214:45
  • Tue 4 Nov 202509:30