The reception building in Dinosaur Park Kleinwelka near Bautzen, Germany has a total height of 22 m (72 ft) and resembles mitosis. Mitosis is a type of cell division and the origin of life. The bionic steel structure consists of a total of 1,389 tubular steel members, each connected in 269 nodes.

A total of ~ 84 metric tons (92.594 US tons) of steel were used for the project. The translucent roof, with a total surface area of approximately 2,300 m² (24,757 ft²), was realized using 463 ETFE foil cushions.

In addition to the entrance area, a souvenir shop, restrooms, adventure area, and a gallery are available in the building. Visitors will also notice a colossal Spinosaurus welcoming them at the main entrance.

Stahlbau Hahner GmbH from Petersberg and rimpf Architektur from Hamburg were honored for the construction at the "Deutscher Verzinkerpreis 2017" (3rd prize in architecture). The engineers of zapf & co. from Strausberg, Germany were responsible for the structural analysis of the steel structure and the foil cushions. The spatial structure was analyzed in RSTAB and the cushions in Easy.

The "Mitoseum" is a spectacular and at the same time eco-friendly lightweight steel and membrane construction.

Structural Design:
zapf & co. - Structural Engineering GmbH, Strausberg

• www.zapf-co.de