Botanist Garden, by Eelco Hooftman

Area: 1031 sq meters
Design Theme:  Expressive force of chinese rare species
Introduction: The Botanist Garden is designed by Eelco Hooftman, a leading figure at Edinburgh College of Art, chief designer of the renowned landscape design studio, Gross Max, receiver of international awards such as the First Prize at the competition of the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) and the First Pirce in Colchester Invitational Tournament. This garden exhibits various noted rare plants in Wilson's collection such as metasequoia, the living fossil of cupresssaceae, Meconopsis punicea and highlands of Tibet. In terms of the space design, the designer adopts the baskets with crickets in and bamboo poles white separate the garden, the Botanist garden successfullly ahcieves the surreal transition from the forecourt to the outer court and the inner chamber. 

Detail of brick wall

The forecourt that is mentioned in the description is constructed with these perforated bricks. Behind this wall is where the inner chamber is located and was the most interesting part of the garden:

The Botanist Garden Inner Chamber

What was really striking about this construction was its relative simplicity. It is a circular structure a small garden core. There is only one entrance. It is simply constructed, but the pattern of using these ceramic roofing tiles creates an articulated yet dizzying effect. What was most surprising was that, upon entering it, I immediately felt perceptibly cooler. Perhaps this Inner Chamber acts like a heat sink and causes the air on the inside to be slightly cooler, or perhaps the structure creates a natural micro climate with cooler air (or perhaps it traps more humid air which gives the feeling of a 1-3 C temperature drop).

The Inner Chamber and Garden Core

Inner Chamber Entrance Detail

Ceramic Roofing Tile Detail with Mortar