On a beautiful afternoon in September, Mayor Femke Halsema of Amsterdam officially opened the new, sustainable Climate Greenhouse in the Hortus Botanicus Amsterdam. "Not just any garden in Amsterdam, but a garden for all the citizens of Amsterdam." ZJA Architects & Engineers, who are the original designers of this iconic structure in the heart of Amsterdam from 1993, also led the new design.
Kay Oosterman (partner architect ZJA): “We are incredibly proud that the new Climate Greenhouse has become exactly what it was supposed to be. The result of an excellent collaboration between the client and the builders. A future-focused project for the plants, the city, and the people.”
Carlien Blok (director of Hortus): "The Climate greenhouse is a place where you see, feel, and smell biodiversity. Here you understand that biodiversity is crucial for life on earth. In an environment that is fully sustainable, inspiring, and educational across all floors."
The renewed Greenhouse at the Hortus has become visibly more sustainable, while retaining its familiar silhouette. ZJA Architects & Engineers preserved the core principles of the original design—lightweight and transparent for optimal daylight exposure for the plants. The architects emphasized the characteristic main support structure, which defines the image of the Hortus.
The distinctive rhythm and refinement of the existing façade, with its white lines, return in the new design. The single-glazed façade has been replaced with insulated double glazing, and the roof now features lightweight, insulating triple-layer ETFE air cushions. This is the ultimate form of lightweight construction.
The glasshouse for the Amsterdam botanical garden, dating from 1993, is one of the earliest significant projects the architectural studio…
The eye-catcher of the Amsterdam Hortus Botanicus was designed in the early 1990s by architectural studio ZJA, as a contemporary structure…
The coming days you can still take a final stroll through the familiar old Three Climate Greenhouse at the Hortus Botanicus Amsterdam. On…
Visibly sustainable, while preserving and enhancing its architectural value. The renovated Climate Greenhouse in the Hortus is now open to…
