Architectural accent

exhibition encased in 4,700 sheets of glass

Seen from a distance, it could be a ship or a cloud. But no matter what one makes of the form, the Klimahaus is an architectural accent in the Old Harbour. Its construction is remarkable in itself. The building consists of two separate structures: the external glass shell and the roof supported by an aluminium structure surround a concrete internal construction.

This unique form was designed by Thomas Klumpp, an architect from Bremen who also designed the neighbouring Atlantic Sail City and the Universum^® in Bremen. Eickworth-lggena, the Bremen branch of agn Niederberghaus & Partner GmbH, was responsible for the project’s implementation. The smooth curves make Klumpp’s design just as unique as the exhibitions that are housed within the visitor centre.

Admittedly, it was precisely because of this design that the building was initially considered impossible. However, cutting-edge computer technology for the design of the three-dimensional deformed surfaces finally made constructing the facade possible. The 10,000-m² glass shell comprises about 4,700 differently shaped glass panes, which were put together in a construction 125 m long, 82 m wide and almost 30 m high with only a few millimetres’ tolerance. The 1,200-ton substructure encloses the building and uses elements, such as frames and stringers, traditionally used in shipbuilding.

The elaborate staging of the various themes covers a gross area of 18,800 m², of which 11,500 are open to the public. The remaining space is mainly used for the exhibit’s technical equipment, such as the huge water treatment plants for the three large aquaria. The entire internal volume is an impressive 160,400 m³.