Archinect - News

Coldefy and Carlo Ratti Associati unveil France’s pavilion at Expo 2025 Osaka behind curtain facade

2024-01-12T14:46:00-05:00

A team comprising Coldefy and Carlo Ratti Associati has unveiled their design for France’s national pavilion at World Expo Osaka 2025.

Titled ‘Theatrum Naturae,’ meaning ‘Theatre of Nature,’ the pavilion is inspired by France’s natural landscapes, with a “looping narrative path” that suggests “new entanglements between humans and other forms of life in our cities.”

Image credit: Coldefy and Carlo Ratti Associati

The pavilion features a single pathway that guides visitors through three experiences: Ascent, Discovery of Nature, and Return to the Ground. The experience begins with a staircase that winds to form an observation balcony. The staircase weaves in and out of the pavilion’s porous curtain facade, offering views of the building’s interior before culminating at a heavily vegetated terrace.

Image credit: Coldefy and Carlo Ratti Associati

“The French Pavilion invites visitors to enter the theater of life,” said Coldefy founding partner Thomas Coldefy about the scheme. “Both actors...

The world's largest greenhouse due to take shape for a 2020 Venice Biennale collateral event

2020-05-16T13:02:00-04:00

Zuecca Projects and architecture firm Coldefy have presented the exhibition entitled DOMUS - Architecture, Materials, Innovative Systems as a "Collateral Event" of the 17th International Architecture Exhibition of the Venice Biennale due to be held in Venice from August 29th to November 29th.

Lower level plan

The exhibition is curated by Alessandro Possati, director of Zuecca Projects, and Arch. Thomas Coldefy, founder at Coldefy. The theme of DOMUS is dilineated with research and documentation of Tropicalia, which is expected to be the largest single-dome greenhouse on the planet.

Upper level plan

While the exhibition presents the vision for Tropicalia in the form of drawings, models, renderings, and diagrams, the structure is due to become a reality by 2023. The greenhouse proposes 20,000 square meters of tropical landscape covered by a massive dome rising 35 meters high.

World's largest single-domed tropical greenhouse, designed by Coldefy & Associates, coming soon to Northern France

2018-03-28T17:40:00-04:00

French architects Coldefy & Associates Architects Urban Planners have revealed plans for the world's largest single-domed tropical greenhouse. Called Tropicalia, this vast indoor landscape will soon pop up in the Pas-de-Calais area in Northern France and house all sorts of tropical flora and fauna under an enormous pillar-less firmament of EFTE pressurized air cushions held up by an aluminum frame.

Image: Coldefy & Associates Architects Urban Planners.

Here's a project description from the architects: "Tropicalia is a 15,000m2 tropical biodome that creates a harmonious world connecting man to an exotic natural, providing a constant temperature of 28°C in a region with notoriously poor weather. Whether it is an invitation into a dream, a grand voyage or an educational trip, Tropicalia is a place of discovery, amazement and ecological awareness."

Image: Coldefy & Associates Architects Urban Planners.

"This unique place will contain a diverse range of fauna and flora, butterflies, exotic...