Westbury’s Pick: Botanical Garden of Curitiba

This month's inspirational Westbury's Pick is the stunning Botanical Garden of Curitiba.

The Botanical Garden of Curitiba (The Jardim Botânico de Curitiba in Portuguese) is an iconic selection of greenhouses and parkland nestled in Southern Brazil’s state of Paraná. A major tourist attraction in the region, the landmark is recognised as the unofficial symbol of the city and features in many advertising campaigns.

Beyond being a postcard location and a place for leisure and recreation, the Botanical Gardens function to provide a hub for environmental education, preservation, and nature conservation in the city. The centre showcases a wide variety of beautiful plants to the public but its core objectives are in cultivating, protecting, studying and reproducing them.

Expanding just over 450 square metres, the main greenhouse is not particularly large in size, but its eye catching design features are what sets it apart from the surrounding botanical gardens. White metal encases the entire structure, carving a sophisticated pattern across the greenhouse, while the three solitary art-nouveau style peaks, sculpted out of metal and glass stand proud.

The extensive Botanical Garden of Curitiba is home to many tropical plants from around the world, along with cascading waterfalls, fountains, and pools. Additional plants and floral displays can be found inside the main greenhouse where 24 flower beds – fenced off with ornamental and seasonal http://www.besttramadolonlinestore.com blooms – are split between six geometric garden areas. Each area is illuminated with Republican-style chandeliers which give the building a wonderful glow long after the sun goes down.

Located behind the greenhouse is the Museum of Franz Krajcberg – a Polish Brazillian, devoted to environmental conservation – another stunning example of glazed architecture, the space offers an auditum, multimedia classrooms, and exhibitions. On the other side of the grounds is the Botanical Museum consisting of a wooden building accessible via a wooden bridge. The museum is fronted by a wildlife pond populated by carp, herons, and turtles.

A huge contributing factor to giving the glasshouse its high profile status is the thematic lighting displays hosted throughout the year when the building glows with colourful lighting to symbolise awareness days or seasonal events and holidays.

The architecture of the Botanical Garden has inspired a number of other notable projects in the region, including the Pátio Higienópolis, and the Santa Catarina shopping precinct. The curvaceous building offers an important hub for environmental education and conservation, and has become an iconic symbol in the southern region of Brazil, and this is the reason we have chosen the Botanical Gardens of Curitiba as this month’s Westbury Pick.

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