Flora Botanischer Garten Köln (DE)

Schaugewachshaus Flora Koln

Special glass construction in well-known botanical garden “Flora” in Köln

Place	Cologne, DE
Surface	± 3,000 m²
Architect	Königs Architekten
Realisation	2021/2022
Design	U-construction with three curved glasshouses
Purpose	Botanical glasshouse

Technically advanced project for Flora und Botanischer Garten Köln

Winner of Benelux Trophy Hot Dip Galvanizing 2021

For the famous botanical garden "Flora und Botanischer Garten " in Cologne, EdenParks, part of Smiemans, is building an exceptionally special glass construction by architects Königs. So special that it has won the Benelux Trophy Hot Dip Galvanizing (BTTV) 2021.

Footbridge in 18 meter high arch

The gigantic construction has a U-shape in which three curves merge together. The middle arch has a height of no less than 18 meters, which is comparable to a six-storey flat. Due to this enormous height, there is room for a footbridge, allowing visitors to admire the tropical plants from a great height.

Watch our construction video: https://vimeo.com/543096436

'Technically, this was a very advanced design, but the good cooperation and in-depth knowledge of Smiemans made it very nice and succesfull to work with them again.’
Dipl.-Ing. Ilse Königs - Königs Architekten PartGmbB

Glass palace with ± 4,500 m² of glass

Architect Königs has succeeded in using as much glass as possible, as much as 4,500 m² of insulated glass, in the construction. Due to the minimal use of steel, this light construction allows as much daylight as possible for the 6,000 very old and almost extinct plants in the greenhouse. In the botanical greenhouse with an area of 3,000 m², a tropical and a desert climate are simulated.

Steel construction Botanic garden Flora Koln

For a look inside this glasshouse or more video's click here

Ideal conditions for the tropical plants

Once all the technical installations are in place to keep the greenhouse climate stable, the tropical plants can be planted. The conditions are ideal in the summer. The deadline of June 2022 could not be met due to delivery problems of the climate computers. Now these old and almost extincted plants will be planted next summer and visitors will be able to admire the new tropical greenhouse at the end of 2023.

Orangerie and walkways

In addition to the botanical greenhouse, we are building an orangery that is connected with a canopy. In this way, visitors can comfortably walk to another existing greenhouse even in bad weather.

Glass constructions by Smiemans Projecten can be found in many famous botanical gardens, like the Keukenhof, Hortus Botanicus Leiden, Inverewe and RHS Wisley .

Flora Schaugewachshauser Botanischer garten Koln

History of our curved and botanical greenhouses

The use of round shapes in glass constructions is something Smiemans Projecten is known for. The arches of this botanical greenhouse can be compared to our project for the Goethe University in Frankfurt am Main, built in 2012. This project was also designed by Königs Architekten.