TROPICARIO BOGOTA

Tropicario Botanic Garden, Jose Celestino Mutis – Design Competition – Bogota, Colombia

The “tropicario” is the most important building in the Botanic Garden due to its location and because it will house over two thousand species of Colombian flora found below 2000 meters above sea level. Each enclosure has specific environmental requirements to replicate the climatic conditions of the ecosystems they represent.

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ARCHITECTURAL PROPOSAL:

The new tropicario building is located in the same place as the current one, integrating with the park's pathways. Visitors perceive a self-supporting, glazed structure with a circular floor plan containing enclosures of different heights. The space is characterized by its light and transparent structure, aligning with the environment and building symbolism, allowing views of the architecture, forest, and surroundings.

The building is composed of a metallic structure module that accommodates the required heights (20 meters, 10 meters, and 5 meters) using the same geometric principle and structural elements. The first structure provides access to the tropicario, containing the information desk, general bathrooms, and induction space. The tour through the tropicario begins here and follows a circular floor plan, ending at the same point.

The center of the floor plan houses the temporary exhibition enclosure, covered with a dome-shaped structure built with a metallic frame and a green roof with randomly distributed skylights.

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STRUCTURAL PROPOSAL:

The structural module consists of a metallic beam with an arched geometry anchored to a concrete foundation. Two inclined tubular beams extend from this main beam, creating a 4-meter wide module. These structures are connected by tensioners and bamboo elements anchored to plates, giving the structure its architectural character.

20-meter structure

10-meter structure

5-meter structure