This might get ugly #18

(ISO 100, f16 @ 30mm, 1/80sec., 12:12)

This is the dead tree stump of a rainforest species on the left side of the image and it sits right in front of the building’s main entrance.
Inside you would find a tropical landscape with over 20.000 species of plants, an artificial waterfall and every hour – a simulated thunderstorm.
Don’t let this architecture mislead you, yes, it is brutalist but at the same time brutally honest.

In the meanetime I have received more information about the tree stump:
This is the bottom part of an Angelim Vermelho, which was illegally cut down in the spring of 2003. These trees can grow as high as 50 meters and are incredibly important for the diverse nature of their habitat.
This tree’s wood was worth roughly 23.000 Euro on the European market while the stump is useless to the seller and usually left alone in the forest.
Greenpeace helped to save this stump and cooperated with the Potsdam Biosphere to put it there as a memorial for the destruction of the rainforests on our planet. More information about the Biosphere: http://goo.gl/0m7PXV