Architecture for nature: The “Müritzeum”, Wingårdh Arkitektkontor

“Müritzeum” is Europe’s biggest freshwater aquarium, and its visitors’ centre is located an hour away from Berlin in Waren on the Müritz, the Mecklemburg lake district.

The growing number of visitors to the nature park required a new facility, and a competition was announced for expansion of the old museum, which dated back to 1866. The winning project by Swedish studio Wingårdh Arkitektkontor (Göteborg, Sweden) uses a combination of two materials: burnt larch strips on the façade, a reference to the local tradition of charcoal-making, and bare cement to create a compact, functional structure which fits harmoniously into the context of the park and the ancient town of Waren.

The Müritzeum, which opened in 2007, not only appears to rise out of the water on the shorter side of Herrensee, but effectively rests 70 cm below the surface of the water. This solution creates an unusual point of view from the underground level: below the level of the water, linking the centre’s aquariums with its natural surroundings.

The heart of the complex is a freshwater aquarium with a capacity of 100 thousand litres on two levels, built using Europe’s biggest single pane of glass.
On the western side, a panoramic staircase cut into the cement leads to a big wooden terrace with spectacular views of the nature park and the region’s thousand lakes.

This architectural landmark has become a symbol of the area, an architectural reference which enriches nature, helping us to understand and respect it.

Design: Wingårdh Arkitektkontor AB, Göteborg (Sweden), http://www.wingardhs.se/
Location: Waren, Müritz (Germany)
Year: 2007
Photographs: Åke E:son Lindman
Müritzeum link: http://www.mueritzeum.de/

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