In recent years, as it has repeatedly addressed the specific task of greenhouse design, DMAA has developed extensive technical and cultural knowhow. It applied this knowhow in the design of the Greenhouse Garden in Shanghai, in a region threatened by the consequences of growth and climate change.

The project site was occupied by a coal-fired power plant and a steelworks before being reused, first as an Expo location and now as an inner-city leisure area. The listed steel structure of a former industrial hall became the superstructure to the greenhouse pavilions.

One aim of the project, was to create a zero-energy building. After complex calculations, the use of single glazing was decided, because it is more energy efficient than any solution that requires artificial lighting for the plants. Opening windows in the perforated roof provide ventilation and passive cooling. The adjacent pool supports this cooling and incorporates PV panels that supply energy.

The pavilions recreate a range of climate zones, display plants that are threatened by extinction, and contain vertical flower gardens that offer space for travelling exhibitions. Between the three pavilions and the entrance building, and below the existing steel structure, a largescale circulation space integrates the project into the surrounding nature. The network of pathways passes through each spatial sequence and generates an interaction between the visitors and the built substance.