Amazonienhaus, Modern greenhouse in Bad Cannstatt, Germany
The Amazonienhaus is a walk-through rainforest house in the Wilhelma zoological-botanical garden in Bad Cannstatt, designed by the architecture firm Auer Weber. Inside, a stream crosses the path, and two larger water bodies with waterfalls are home to caimans and fish; the larger one can be viewed through a glass pane. About 2,000 plants of 350 species grow here, including a cannonball tree with fruits weighing up to eight kilograms, a rubber tree, and cocoa trees.
The Amazonienhaus was completed in 1999 and inaugurated in 2000, designed by the architecture firm Auer Weber. It cost 18 million Deutsche Mark, of which the Friends and Sponsors of Wilhelma contributed 7.9 million. In 2009 the glazing was fully replaced because the original glass no longer let through enough sunlight.
The greenhouse displays tropical plant species from South America and gives visitors a sense of rainforest biodiversity up close. People come here to experience the variety of these distant ecosystems and learn about their importance.
Visitors can explore the greenhouse at their own pace or join guided tours to learn more about the plants and their ecosystem. The tropical interior remains warm and humid year-round, so light clothing and sturdy shoes are recommended.
About 50 birds fly freely through the hall, among them green and brown-eared araçaris, chachalacas and tanagers. Three pygmy marmosets have also lived loose in the whole house since May 2024, with access to backstage areas. A filter plant passes more than 100 cubic metres of the watercourses through it every hour.
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