The International Horticulture Exhibition Floriade is hosted every ten years and this year it is held in Almere, the Netherlands, until 9 October. While the event has gotten some bad press, some more deserved than others, for the (interior) architect, especially one interested in innovative material use, the event is definitely worthwhile. MaterialDistrict checked it out. Today, part 2 (for part 1, click here). 

Natural Pavilion (Dutch pavilion)
The Natural Pavilion shows that in 2022, it is already possible to develop homes, schools and offices on an industrial scale that are fully circular, biobased, energy neutral and in close connection with nature. It also proves that architecture can contribute to solving the major world problems of today.

The fully demountable and reusable pavilion is 1000 m2 and consists of stackable modules. A circuit of these modules creates a sculptural three-storey pavilion with a different view on each side.

The pavilion consists for 95% of biobased materials that largely come from the Netherlands. Not just the wooden construction; the inner walls are made of (residual) materials from agriculture and horticulture: straw, flax, bell pepper stems and a finish with wood fibre textile.

Inside The Natural Pavilion, the visitor can become acquainted with these diverse circular materials. The floor of the main hall is made of seeds of various types of vegetables and fruits. On the first floor, the visitor finds various uses of mycelium, for instance as furniture, acoustic panels and lights, even mycelium airplane chairs. There are other materials on display, like VanHier’s BioM, cork by ProSuber, Shou Sugi Ban wood by Zwarthout, Compostboard by Rik Makes, SeaWood by BlueBlocks, and more.

German pavilion
The German pavilion consists of a garden with the theme ‘Biotopia – Growing Community’. The centerpiece of the garden consists of an open space surrounded by a wooden pavilion that symbolizes modern cities. The pavilion has a roof garden, solar panels, wind turbines, green facades, a water playground and much more.

Through the planting of ornamental plants, horticultural crops, trees and wild flowers, the pavilion forms a living ecosystem whose appearance changes in the course of the Floriade.

Qatar pavilion
The design of the pavilion was inspired by the well-known ‘pigeon towers’ of the country. These towers originally provided a resting place in the desert for pigeons on migration. For a long time, pigeons were the fastest way to communicate long distance.

The pavilion is 3D printed. The construction methods are designed to return as many of the pavilion’s materials as possible to nature at the end of the Floriade.

Another smaller pavilion is covered in plants. The pavilion wrapped in waste cotton, which absorbs water and offers a breeding ground for the plants.

Photos: Sigrid Lussenburg / MaterialDistrict / Floriade