Finnforest Merk has helped Swedish architects Wingårdhs create the spectacular Müritzeum, a visitor centre for the Müritz National Park and Germany’s largest fresh water aquarium. 

Constructed from non-traditional shapes and surrounded on three sides by water, the Müritzeum’s eye-catching appearance is intended to draw comparisons with nautical vessels, as well as the forest and lake surrounding the building. 

With the dramatic angle of the exterior walls, and an intentional avoidance of right angles in external visitor areas defeating a natural sense of balance, Finnforest Merk says the building was as challenging to construct as it has proved attractive to visitors.

Chosen as the winners of a design competition, Wingårdhs, the Stockholm-based architectural practice, took inspiration for the exterior design of the Müritzeum from the remains of a barn on the outskirts of Gothenburg.

The building had suffered charring from a fire; however, the effects of this had rendered the structure resistant to weathering, without chemical treatment. Wingårdhs chose to replicate this technique on the Müritzeum, and turned to Finnforest Merk for technical help in executing the exciting project. 

“The challenging structural and aesthetic nature of the Müritzeum made it the perfect project for Finnforest Merk, Finnforest’s own centre of excellence in timber engineering,” comments Christoph Zimmerman, head of Finnforest Merk.

Initially, the Müritzeum’s design called for solid load bearing exterior timber walls; however, as preparation for the build began it became clear that this construction would conflict with the intention to build a sustainable building that used resources sparingly.

In order to provide a solution, the design incorporated the use of multi-layer walls with façade skin, based on two cones structures containing the exhibition rooms.  Beneath these cones, the concrete base houses the aquaria, and supports the wide-spanned steel skeleton, which is supplemented by the reinforcing, load-bearing spruce, cross-laminated timber panel walls and ceiling and roof structures made of engineered timber.

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