The one that would have been so beautiful.
In our competition proposal for the new Herbarium building at the Plantentuin Meise, we aimed to restore the existing heritage while creating a modern and inviting workspace. Our vision was to design a herbarium that integrates the essential characteristics of traditional herbaria—authentic work and research environments—with contemporary needs, all within a low-tech framework. This philosophy is embodied in a highly efficient building envelope and thoughtful daylight access in the storage areas. A compact and imaginative sarcophagus in an open architectural framework. Our design balances openness with privacy, ensuring maximum visibility for visitors into the collection and the internal workings of the Herbarium while prioritizing the functionality and comfort of staff and researchers. The ground floor was envisioned as a spacious meeting area to bring together the diverse users of the plant garden, inviting them to explore the world of plants and research through a partially underground visitor trail.
Competition proposal
i.c.w. Archipelago and Tractebel
Visualisations: nuvillu / Drawings: Nargiz Nabirova
