There are museums for railroads, stamps, buttons, and even high school athletics coaches, so why not museums for trees? Thanks to ‘green architect’ Chad Oppenheim and Swiss landscape architect Enzo Enea, the world will soon have its first.
Doubling as the headquarters for Enea’s firm, the Tree Museum will open to the public on June 14 in Rapperswil-Jona, Switzerland. The sprawling complex, which houses more than 2,000 trees, sits on the grounds of a 14th century monastery just minutes away from Lake Zurich.
Oppenheim Architecture + Design (OAD) was one of several companies considered for the job. Oppenheim’s design for the main building, which uses sustainably sourced local lumber, green roofs and geothermal exchange will make the Enea Headquarters one of the cleanest buildings in Switzerland. Besides housing the Swiss landscaper’s main office, the complex will also feature a showroom, classroom and workshop.
Of course it’s all about the 2.5 acres of combo man-made and natural space that comprises the outdoor Tree Museum, where 22 tree species, such as English yew and Scotch pine, will be on display. The space draws upon both European and Eastern influences, perhaps in part due to both Oppenheim and Enzo’s time spent learning design in Japan. Many of the trees on display are positioned alone and Zen-like against sections of time-worn sandstone walls that appear to have been cut from nearby medieval compounds.
But the presentation is only part of what makes the Tree Museum unique. Enea tells The New York Times that his collection contains trees as high as 40 feet tall and as old as 130 years. “I have collected trees over the last 17 years from gardens that I was building or houses that I was building,” he says. “Trees had to be moved, and instead of cutting them, I tried to remove them.”
Joni Mitchell be damned, they’re now on display for your enjoyment.
Photo via Enea’s Tree Museum.