A lush paradise of waterfalls and tropical plants has been unveiled in Coldefy & Associates’ designs for Tropicalia, the world’s largest tropical greenhouse under one roof. Proposed for Pas-de-Calais, France, the 215,000-square-foot greenhouse is designed for energy efficiency and heat recycling, and it will be sheathed beneath a double-insulated dome. The $62 million project will feature a variety of tropical landscapes filled with flora and fauna and linked by a one-kilometer walking path.
Lead image by Octav Tirziu Atelier
Created in collaboration with energy company Dalkia, the greenhouse project aims to impress with its size and energy efficiency. “Tropicalia was imagined by Coldefy as a ‘bubble of harmony’ perfectly integrated with the local environment, endowed with a new innovation: the project is autonomous – energy producer by the use of a double dome creating a air chamber heated by a greenhouse effect,” wrote the architects.
In addition to the double-insulated glass dome that will be constructed of structural steel and ETFE plastic, the greenhouse will be partly embedded into the earth to take advantage of natural insulation and ensure a stable 79-degree indoor environment year-round. Excess heat could be recycled for use in neighboring buildings.
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In addition to the tropical flora and fauna that include an 82-foot-tall waterfall and Olympic-sized pool with Amazonian fish, Tropicalia also houses an auditorium, restaurant, bed and breakfast, and research area with a conference room, laboratory, and clinic. The project is expected to break ground in 2019 and open in 2021.
Via ArchDaily
Images via Octav Tirziu Atelier and Coldefy & Associates
