Futuristic biosphere for butterflies On Noor Island in the middle of the capital of the Arab Emirate Sharjah, 3deluxe designed a 2.5 ha transmedia landscape park, interwoven with an ensemble of several themed pavilions and buildings. The polygonal Butterfly Aviary is an artificial eco-system located at the center of the Butterfly Pavilion and was completed 2016. On 230m², the rainforest biotope boasts a spectacular form of landscape design. Over 500 exotic butterflies – flown in from Malaysia twice a week – thrive in this biosphere and can be observed during all stages of their development. The biosphere’s steel structure is clad with an all glass façade construction, providing just a minimal barrier between inside and outside. Inside, a white, three-dimensional sculpted surface with embedded planting areas seamlessly covers the floor and walls. It is resplendent with patterns and embellishments that echo the ornaments of the roof construction. Organic skylights provide spectacular views into the shading structure and allow shadows of the golden roof to enter the aviary. The light that enters and the shadows this creates define the mood inside the biotope. Layers and superimpositions of shadows, projections, real and printed plants, shimmering colors and soundless butterfly wings, all of them organic, integral, in motion, established categories of wall, floor, ceiling dissolved in shimmering motion. The natural becomes artificial – the anthropogenic resembles nature.