Climate House wins Green Award

Green Recognition

The European Centre for Architecture Art Design and Urban Studies and The Chicago Athenaeum: Museum of Architecture and Design have joined forces across two continents for the Green Good Design Sustainability Awards. Each year, these awards spotlight pioneering projects in the field of sustainable architecture and design. The visibly sustainable Climate House in the Hortus Botanicus Amsterdam has been honored in the category of “Green Architecture.” A green accolade for a future-proof place where visitors can learn all about biodiversity and its relationship with the climate, housed within a visibly sustainable building.

In 1993, ZJA Architects & Engineers designed the landmark structure that has become an iconic presence in the heart of Amsterdam. Three decades later, commissioned by the Hortus Botanicus Amsterdam, the firm was again responsible for the new, sustainable design.

The interior design and fit-out were created by BOOM Landscape and Designwolf, while ABT once again served as the structural engineer.

A visibly sustainable icon

The new Climate Greenhouse at the Hortus has become visibly sustainable, while the familiar silhouette of the old greenhouse has remained recognisable. The key principles of the original design—lightness and slenderness to maximise daylight for the plants—have been retained. Even greater emphasis has been placed on the distinctive primary load-bearing structure, which is so defining for the Hortus.

This brings back the characteristic rhythm and refinement of the existing façade with its white lining in the new design. The single glazing in the façade has been replaced with insulating double glazing, and the roof has been fitted with lightweight, insulating three-layer ETFE air cushions—an ultimate expression of lightweight construction. Want to know more? Read more about the project here.

Brand-new terminal in a listed monument

The Climate Greenhouse has been nominated in the category “Overall Sustainable Architecture Project” at the WAN Awards 2026, and the UK Terminal in the category “Transport” at the WAN Awards. Commissioned by NS Stations, Eurostar and ProRail, the architects ZJA Architects & Engineers (architect of the UK Terminal) and Superimpose Architecture (architect of the passenger-area interior) carefully integrated the new terminal into the national heritage monument of Amsterdam Central Station.This “terminal of the future” marks a new era for cross-border rail travel, bringing together different historical layers, technology, aesthetics and efficiency in a visible way. Read more about the project here.

The WAN winners will be announced from 5 March onward.