Large aviary in Luisenpark Mannheim with Webnet
Initial situation and concept:
The Luisenpark in Mannheim was originally built for the 1975 Federal Garden Show (BUGA). Since then, the mature parkland has become a popular destination beyond the city limits, where nature and architecture, flora and fauna intertwine. The park was redesigned and rebuilt for BUGA 2023. The architects bez + kock were awarded the contract for the redesign together with Koeber Landschaftsarchitektur with a design that enhances the park landscape with organically shaped building elements.
At the center of the park is a newly built large aviary. African storks, red ibises and bald ibises live here on an area of 1,300 square meters. Visitors can walk around the aviary on a circular route. The extensive structure of the aviary offers the birds plenty of retreats and nesting places. Varied planting, small bodies of water and a flying height of up to 13 meters round off the airy ambiance for the birdlife.
Construction and implementation:
The large curved aviary with three pylons up to 16 meters high rises into the sky above the bird enclosure like a transparent tent roof. The wh-p engineers provided the necessary structural expertise for the design. They were supported by rope net construction specialists Marlene Thimet and Rudi Oswald.
Jakob Rope Systems (Germany) was commissioned with the design, delivery and installation of the rope and Webnet structures. Webnet elements were installed for the aviary roof and for the surrounding aviary wall. For the aviary roof, Jakob supplied and installed an area of around 1950 square meters (Webnet micro black). The other Webnet panels for the aviary wall and for a stork protection net are also installed in the discreet Webnet micro black version. This gives the aviary maximum transparency across its large surfaces.
Jakob Rope Systems installed the Webnet surfaces during the winter months of February to April 2023. Prior to this, the company Roleff from Altbach / Esslingen erected the steel construction. The installation of the roof nets was challenging. A total of 15 roofing membranes were joined together. Each net panel weighs around 200 kilograms (total weight of the roof nets around 2720 kilograms). The team from Jakob Rope Systems used three mobile telescopic articulated work platforms to install the nets without the need for surface scaffolding. Jakob installed the Webnet for the aviary wall using a facade scaffold. The large aviary was opened to visitors in April 2023, just in time for the start of BUGA 2023.
Geometry and dimensions:
Aviary footprint: 1300 sqm
Maximum height of aviary: 13 m
Average flight altitude: 10 m
Height of inner stall: 4 m
Jakob products and services:
Aviary roof:
Webnet micro, Ø 2 mm, mesh size 40 mm
Net area: 1947.91 sqm
Stork protection net:
Webnet micro, Ø 2 mm, mesh size 100 mm
Net area: 241.68 sqm
Primary ropes: Stainless steel, Ø 10 mm, 1x19
Aviary wall:
Webnet micro, Ø 1.5 mm, mesh size 40 mm
Primary ropes: Stainless steel, Ø 10 – 12 mm, 6x19 + WC
Project partner:
Architecture: bez+kock architekten / Koeber Landschaftsarchitektur, Stuttgart
Building owner: Stadtpark Mannheim gemeinnützige GmbH
Design of aviary / statics: wh-p Ingenieure / Marlene Thimet / Rudi Oswald
Steel construction: Roleff GmbH & Co KG
Supply / assembly of ropes and nets: Jakob Rope Systems
