Zone 2: A Recovered Wetland

The central zone is where the new bird museum is built. It was a degraded coastal wetland as well, adjacent to an intertidal zone that had been listed as a national bird reserve. This site was an abandoned construction site from a former theme park, which destroyed the coastal wetland habitats when built. The site was also covered with building debris and garbage.

Ecological recovery was a strong need, so the landscape architect searched for an idea that could be natural, social and economically sustainable: A Wetland Museum was built on this site as an education facility in association with the bird reserve beyond.

Inspired by the bubble-patterned water sinks along the intertidal zone, water holes are created in among the building debris to catch the rainwater from the land that allows wetland plant and animal communities to get established, also attracting birds to forage.

The Wetland Museum is designed as an integral part of the landscape, stretching into the wetland, and inlets breeze from the ocean to cool off the hot summer and reduce the use of energy in the building. The interlocking pattern of the building and its environment was inspired by the local fishing boats anchoring in group off the shore, in an image against the wind and waves that keep the boats stable in the water.

A system of boardwalks and platforms is built allowing people to walk from the building into the wetland and enjoy the newly created habitats and diverse species.