Papaver- National Wildflower Centre, English Building, Images
Papaver- National Wildflower Centre in Knowsley
Educational, Conference and Seed Production Complex, UK – design by Matteo Cainer Architects
26 Aug 2016
Papaver- National Wildflower Centre
Design: Matteo Cainer Architects
Location: Knowsley, Liverpool, UK
Papaver- National Wildflower Centre in Knowsley

The design of the new educational, conference and seed production complex, responds both to the site as well as the orientation and geometries of the existing buildings. While establishing two entrances, it closes the circle with the existing facility, offering therefore a six petal arrangement like the poppy flower, dividing visitors according to needs. It is these site alignments and divisions that frame the nursery; the contemplative and symbolic heart of the wildflower centre and a precious fragment of meadow within its protective enclosure.
The projects? leading concept is to enhance the visitor experience by creating a strong relationship between nature mathematics and architecture. The main idea is to encourage the people through an interior promenade to discover and learn about the natural world and the seemingly artificial world of plant technology. The visitor will follow the line of this imaginary boundary, between the two worlds, along a ramp that gradually descends to allow a child to examine plants at close quarters. The journey becomes the experience. The path through is naturally lit and ven...