The Biosphere and Flower Pavilion was constructed for the German Horticultural Show 2001 Potsdam in the vicinity of the Sanssouci Palace. The project is located in the Bornstedter Fields, a site used for the last 100 years by the military for troop exercises and barracks. The building is generated by the forms of the earthen berms on the site that had been built by the Soviet Army during their occupation as defensive barriers. The building is formed by a series of berms forming an artificial valley that is enclosed by a simple flat roof with skylights.
Carving into the earth, a sunken garden reduces the height of the building. The berm forms are clad in oak logs, grass, slate or are of poured concrete. With partial views to the adjacent park framed, the visitor is led through a series of inclined planes covered by tropical plants and flowers either at the level of the ground or from suspended bridges. After the six month garden show, the pavilion functions as a commercial attraction run by a film company.
Architects — Barkow Leibinger, Berlin Frank Barkow, Regine Leibinger
Team Competition — Julien Monfort, Heiko Krech, Stefan Barme, Oliver Neumann, Cirsti Weich
Team Construction — Heiko Krech, Christian Helfrich, Dietrich Bernstorf, Giuseppe Boezi, Bernd Jürgens, Stephanie Kaindl, Jan Kircher, Karen Lohrmann, Volkmar Nickol, Karin Ocker, Andrea Pelzeter, Florian Steinbächer
Program
Exhibition Hall, Offices, Caféteria, Laboratory, Restaurant, Palludarium
Location
Potsdam, Germany
Size
11.000 sqm
Construction
2000 - 2001
Photos
Werner Huthmacher, Berlin
Margherita Spiluttini, Vienna
Awards
2004 BDA Preis -
Architektur in Brandenburg,
Acknowlegdement
2002 World Architecture Award,
European Finalist
2001 ar+d Award -
The Architectural Review + d line
Client
Stadt Potsdam, Entwicklungsträger Bornstedter Feld
Contracting | Property Monitoring
Harms & Partner, Hannover/Berlin
Construction Management
Assmann Beraten und Planen, Braunschweig/Potsdam
Structural Enineer
Hörnicke Hock Thieroff – Ingenieurgemeinschaft, Berlin
Mechanical Engineer
Planungsgruppe M+M, Berlin/Stuttgart
Landscape Architect
Büro Kiefer, Berlin
Natural Adventure Park
Martin Diekmann Landschaftsarchitektur, Hannover