The building serves as a "transition zone" between the urban environment and the garden - a "living museum" with an area of 21 hectares. On the Washington Avenue side, its rectangular-shaped glazed façade is covered with a copper roof with a zig-zag profile. This decision is a reference to the historic administrative building of the garden from 1917. Over time, the copper will become covered with a patina, softening the image of the building.
As you go deeper into the garden, the silhouette of the center becomes streamlined, blending in with the landscape (on the north side, it is built into the slope of the embankment). The visitor cannot look at it with one glance, so the building constantly turns to him with an unexpected side, emphasizing the landscape around.
It is covered with a green roof with an area of almost 1000 m2, and the southern facade is covered from the sun by an openwork roof extension. There and on the north side, where, due to the embankment, the window tape was made only on top of the wall, fritted glass was used to protect the interior from the sun's rays.
The building uses a geothermal cooling and heating system and mixers that limit the water pressure, and rainwater is filtered not only by the green roof, but also by three "rain gardens" with moisture-loving plants.
Since we are talking about a botanical garden, they approached the landscaping with all seriousness: 40,000 plants were planted on the roof - grasses, bulbous, perennial wildflowers. Around, on an area of 3,900 m2, almost 60,000 plants have been planted, including trees (magnolia, cherry, viburnum) and wild roses.
The building itself is 1,858 m2, including a hall for social events (232 m2), and the budget is $ 28 million.
N. F.
