Fun fact about greenhouses: growing crops in greenhouses produces 6 to 10 times the amount of yield compared to growing them in open fields. Also, the crops grown hydroponically in greenhouses have relatively small roots so 40% of the drainage water can be recycled for reuse. Greenhouses help us combat the growing food crisis while reducing the overuse of resources. They contribute significantly to sustainable agriculture and help facilitate natural pollination. Now that we are all team greenhouse, let’s look at what is basically the Queen of all greenhouses – the Tropicalia!

At this year’s Venice Architecture Biennale, you will be able to witness Tropicalia which is a first of its kind in the greenhouse category. Designed by French firm Coldefy & Associates, it will be located on the Côte D’opale in Northern France and construction will begin in 2024. The massive greenhouse proposes to immerse visitors in a tropical environment measuring 20,000 sqm and topped with a 35-meter-tall dome. An indoor ventilated temperature of 26°c will accommodate a diverse range of birds, butterflies, fish, reptiles, and exotic plants, fauna and flora.

The huge domed structure is designed to integrate with its environment by the absence of internal load-bearing columns. A double dome design is conceived to provide optimal thermal isolation while the entire building is developed to be energy self-sufficient; all the heat produced by the greenhouse’s effect will be recycled and stocked, and the surplus energy will be exported via a heat network into buildings and surrounding businesses.

This double insulating dome will protect the tropical ecosystem in summer and maintain its temperature in winter. The partial burial of the greenhouse will reinforce this insulation. The excess heat can therefore be directly used, stored or redistributed to our neighbors as part of a network of private heat or a “smartgrid,” said Denis Bobillier, Technical Director of Major Projects, Dalkia.

For this exhibition, visitors will get a glimpse of the architecture and engineering systems behind the tropicalia greenhouse, as well as its sustainable air treatment engineering. It also presents the current state of the research on tropical fauna and flora, and its benefits on the ecosystem, the planet and health. The exhibition aims to show how science can answer the question of ‘how will we live together?’, the title of the venice architecture biennale 2021 curated by hashim sarkis. The space will also host conferences with relevant figures of the architecture world to investigate and discuss the themes and challenges arisen by tropicalia.

Tropicalia – architecture, materials, innovative systems will be on show at squero castello in venice from may 22nd to november 21st 2021.

Designer: Coldefy & Associates