Experience the tropical dream - in the middle of Stuttgart
 Regardless of the weather outside, whether it is snowing, raining or mid-summer warm, in the Amazon house in the Stuttgart Wilhelma. zoological gardens, there is an unchanging climate, which you would otherwise only experience in tropical rainforests. There are enormous requisitions upon the technology of the climate regulating installations; after all, the issue here is the provision of characteristic living conditions for animals and vegetation. A very special project for M+W Zander.
With its Amazon house, Stuttgart’s zoological-botanical gardens is endowed with a visitor attraction as yet unique in Europe: A perfectly orchestrated theme experience, which conveys the impression of being right in the Amazonian mountain rain forest. This vivid experience was made possible with the aid of highly complex air condition and clean air filter technology, which was commissioned from M+W Zander.
Animals and plants indigenous to the wildlife habitat of the tropical rainforest, have been accommodated within a building comprising a glass paned expanse of approximately 2,500 m2 and 15,800 m3 of available space. M+W Zander was commissioned to simulate the climatic conditions, which would guarantee the survival of these life forms and permanently sustain those conditions imperative to their well-being.
 Independent of prevailing exterior temperatures, a year-round inside temperature in accordance with the predetermined conditions of 26° Celsius, with a maximum variable range of +/- 3 degrees, has to be guaranteed, with a comparative air humidity which remains constant between 60-80 %, without, on any account producing condensation on the glass panes. The air supply has to be purified in order to protect the animals from disease. The accomplishment of an acoustically convincing tropical illusion demands the noise free functioning of the air condition installations. The extreme degree of air humidity and the aggressive nature of the animal excretions necessitates the utilization of absolutely non-corrosive materials in a construction of this nature. A technical breakdown would have catastrophic consequences for the 120 animal species and upwards of 1000 plants, which moreover constitute a considerable asset.
There is an hourly air flow of 30,000 m3. The suctioned outside air is purified by osmosis and – depending upon the exterior conditions – correspondingly heated or cooled. During wintertime operation 80% of the heated air is treated for reuse by means of an air re-circulation process. The air is enriched with water and transported by far-reaching dispersal jets, along the glass façade into the building.
The climate in the Amazon house is equally controlled by 2 installations, which independent of each other, are equipped to handle the entire capacity and thus function as a mutual safeguard against breakdown.
The cooperation between technicians, architects and artists produced a notable creative feature when it came to installing the two essential exhaust towers, which are required to purge the exhausted air in the tropical theme setting: The visitors only see two gigantic gnarled old trees rising to the ceiling, behind which the technology is well concealed.
The project was accomplished within 2 months. It was, by the way, a particularly enthralling project for M+W Zander’s experienced engineers, who still today take pleasure and pride in showing off the Amazon house and explaining the workings of the installations to their families and friends or other interested parties.
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