Circular Floriade pavilion to be relocated to the Evoluon park in Eindhoven

The Natural Pavilion, built for the Floriade Expo 2022 in Almere, is moving to Eindhoven. There, the circular, demountable building will gain a new purpose as Ontdekfabriek 2.0, on the grounds of the futuristic Evoluon. It is the ‘proof of the pudding’ for the former national government pavilion, which was designed as a showcase of innovative, circular building.

Government pavilion at Floriade 2022
The Natural Pavilion was designed for the Floriade Expo in 2022, commissioned by the Rijksvastgoedbedrijf (Central Government Real Estate Agency), and erected in just a few months. It became an almost entirely biobased, nature-inclusive and modular building that can be dismantled and rebuilt in a different configuration at a different location. In this way, it responds to the major spatial challenges facing the Netherlands: the energy and raw materials transitions, contributing to solutions for the housing shortage, making agriculture more sustainable, restoring biodiversity and climate adaptation.

95% biobased and demountable
The Natural Pavilion is constructed from a framework of demountable beams of native timber, forming a structurally clear shell whose modules are connected by a universal steel connection node. Within this framework, a flexible infill of biobased and reused materials, such as timber floors and biobased walls, makes it possible to create any desired space and to meet specific requirements, such as acoustic or fire safety requirements.

Building gains new configuration
The pavilion is being adapted to its new function as Ontdekfabriek 2.0, where children are introduced to science, innovation and technology through play. At its new location, too, the building will have a volume of three storeys with a central atrium. For every building component, it has been determined where it will be used in the new situation. Some façade elements will be closed to limit heat gain, while others will be opened up. The Ontdekfabriek, for example, will have a café on the façade by the entrance, on the spot where one of the integrated inner gardens was previously located. Most of the original building components will be reused, including the load-bearing structure, floors, façade elements and window frames.

New building services
The relocation entails technical adjustments, and the building services have therefore been redesigned. At the Floriade, these were minimal, because the pavilion was originally only to be open in spring and summer. The Ontdekfabriek is open all year round and places different demands on the building. Instead of a central air-handling system, decentralised air units with integrated heat pumps have been chosen. This requires less ductwork and means that no heavy installations need to be placed on the roof. It also keeps the building more easily demountable for any future relocations.

Logistical challenge
The move calls for a carefully planned logistical operation. All elements have been inventoried and numbered in advance. Smaller modules will be transported in their entirety by truck. The larger elements are too wide for road transport and must therefore be dismantled further first.

A circular experiment at building scale
The relocation of The Natural Pavilion shows that buildings no longer have to end after a single period of use. By taking future dismantling and reuse into account from the very first design, a building emerges that can adapt to new users, new locations and new ambitions.

The new function as Ontdekfabriek 2.0 fits seamlessly with the innovative character of the building. Here, children discover through play how technology, design and innovation shape the world of tomorrow. It is also a function that suits the location beautifully, close to the futuristic Evoluon, designed in the 1960s and now home to the Next Nature Museum. This museum of the future invites visitors to reflect on the relationship between humans, nature and technology.

The building is currently being prepared for its move from Almere to Eindhoven. The environmental permit has now been granted. According to the schedule, the building will be completed in early 2027, after which the Ontdekfabriek will begin fitting out the building.