Building bridges

The guiding principles defining LAN’s project were to dissolve the limits of the greenhouse structures in order to mix colour, form and matter, to create pathways perfectly integrated into their host environments, and to illuminate and highlight the majesty of the trees while respecting the natural ambient light. It is the vegetation’s exceptional luxuriance that is given precedence, not the ostentatious architecture, which would have detracted from it. The treatment of the paths blends into the spaces while reflecting the characteristics of each of the four greenhouses.

A versatile material

The same concrete was used for the path in four different ways. In the Tropical Forests greenhouse, the prefabricated concrete, coloured during mixing, is laid in strips of different lengths alternating with bare ground. This has the effect of “blurring” or “fraying” the path’s edges. With time, the plants and flowers will be able to infiltrate the path itself and its surface will acquire a patina. In the Deserts greenhouse, the concrete is light-coloured and helps accentuate the dazzling atmosphere in this sun-drenched pavilion. In the Plant History greenhouse, the same concrete was shaped to accommodate the listed stones marking out the path, which had remained unchanged for a century. The New Caledonia greenhouse is divided in two by an elegant footbridge engraved with Kanak motifs and lit from beneath.

Client: Muséum National d’Histoire Naturelle / Budget: - M€ HT / Surface: 1 850m² / Calendar: 2007-2010 / Team: LAN Architecture (Architecte Mandataire), BETHAC (BET Fluides)