France based architects Coldefy & Associates have released stunning renderings for the “Tropicalia”- a 215,000 square feet (20,000 square meters) dome featuring a tropical forest, turtle beach, a pool for Amazonian fish, and a one-kilometer-long walking trail.
Located in Rang-du-Filiers – in the Pas-de-Calais; Offering an immersion in a unique environment, it will be crossed by a walk of more than one kilometer in the middle of dozens of species of animals, trees and flowers. Tropicalia was imagined by Coldefy as a “bubble of harmony” perfectly integrated with the local environment, endowed with a new innovation: the project is autonomous – energy producer by the use of a double dome creating a air chamber heated by a greenhouse effect.
Courtesy of Coldefy & Associates
Tropicalia is a tropical biodome that creates a harmonious world connecting man to an exotic nature, providing a constant temperature of 28°C in a region with notoriously poor weather. Whether it is an invitation into a dream, a grand voyage or an educational trip, Tropicalia is a place of discovery, amazement and ecological awareness.
Courtesy of Coldefy & Associates
This unique place will contain a diverse range of fauna and flora, butterflies, exotic flowers, hummingbirds, waterfalls, aquarium basins, fish, turtles, caimans and more. Beyond the eminently exotic interior world, the sensation of complete immersion is made possible with the innovative architectural approach.
“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.”
Courtesy of Coldefy & Associates
The scheme will feature a “double-dome” of 200-foot x 13-foot (60-meter x 4-meter) ETFE strips forming a pressurized “cushion,” allowing UV light to pass through while controlling thermal conditions inside. A third layer of ETFE underneath the structure will accumulate heat generated by the greenhouse effect to be exploited for thermal energy. In order to further enhance the scheme’s energy performance, and to integrate the large structure with its natural surroundings, the dome will be partially embedded in the landscape. When combined, these measures create an energy-self-sufficient scheme allowing for energy to be redistributed to surrounding buildings.
Courtesy of Coldefy & Associates
The absence of any load-bearing columns that would disrupt the view or introduce artificiality,coupled with the natural treatment of the perimeter vegetal wall that allows only a view up to the sky from within, visitors have the sensation of a space disconnected from the world outside.
From the exterior, the architecture merges with the landscape: the building is partially set in the ground, diminishing its height and impact. From a distant view, the structure rises like a gentle hill in its natural landscape. A project such as Tropicalia implies an increased resourcefulness and a serious sustainable approach. Therefore, the roof structure implemented is composed by EFTE pressurized air cushions within an aluminum frame.
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Project Details
Architects: Coldefy & Associates
Client: Opale tropical Concept
Location: Côte d’Opale, France