Brothel with Greenhouse, 1999

A design for a public space in Mutlenz Botanical Garden near Basel, this house stands next to a stream and has been completely redesigned and combined with a watermill. There is a special biotope inside with desert plants; the waterwheel generates the heat and the light needed to maintain the dry climate for plants. The turning wheel provides the energy for a permanent, eternal piece of desert in the botanical garden. On one side of the house there is a window that shows all the mechanics; on the other side there is room for a prostitute waiting for clients. The climatic extremes of the stream and the desert meet in energy, beauty and sex.