All is not as it seems on Dalston Lane. Yes, the traffic is still as painful, yes, business continues as usual, but next time you are stuck in a jam cursing the train-line works or walking past the queue of cars laughing at the hot-under-the-collar motorists, take a moment to peer past the Peace Mural and you will see a mysterious Alice In Wonderland-esque doorway.

But not even in a Lewis Caroll adventure could expect to find what lies behind this entrances; as a 20 metre golden wheatfield sways in the breeze, a wild garden buzzes with activity and a 16 metre working windmill towers above the makeshift bakery.

Organised as part of the Barbican’s major new exhibition, Radical Nature: Art and Architecture for a Changing Planet, the project is the brainchild of the French architectural collective EXYZT, which specialises in building temporary structures in abandoned spaces.

One of the founders of EXYZT, architect Nicolas Henninger says: “Our job is to suggest alternative ways to develop urban environments other than selling the land to big property developers. We wanted to establish a social network around the mill and engage with the local community.”

Radical Nature curator Francesco Manacorda adds: “The action provides people a framework, or a set of tools that different communities can use to take ownership of the space.”

With this premise in mind, a series of events have been set up throughout the mill’s summer residence, from African drumming and green Sundays to performances courtesy of the Arcola theatre and bread-making workshops.

For example, this evening, Gahu Dramatic Arts will stage a celebration of African food, music, dance and acrobatics; on Saturday, Alexandre Bettler will teach participants how to design a full dinner service, from cutlery to baking trays, which will be used at the dinner cooked and served that evening, and on Sunday, Jagdish Patel will lead a cake decoration masterclass, followed by a talk by EXYZT.

Finally, when the project comes to an end in August, all 2,650 wheat plants in the wheatfield, which is based on Agnes Denes’ iconic 1982 installation in New York, will be harvested and ground in the mill to make bread, creating a “single cycle”.

The Dalston Mill, entrance by the Peace Mural on Dalston Lane, Hackney, is open daily from 2pm to 10pm until Thursday, August 6. Events are free but capacity is limited to 30 on a first come first served basis. For more information visit www.barbican.org.uk/radicalnature