Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology Leipzig

Upon entering the inner courtyard of the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, the element "water" comes to the fore. The architecture is reflected in the water; walkways lead to the terraces, platforms and islands. Two magnolias (Magnolia kobus) and two Caucasian wingnut trees (Pterocarya fraxinifolia) form the plant highlights. The oval island is planted with forest sedge (Carex sylvatica) covering the ground.

The water basin, sealed with a foil, contains a total of about 400,000 l of water. The water is precipitation water, which is collected via the roofs of the MPI and fed into the central basin. Despite the importance of the inner courtyard as a place of interdisciplinary gathering - "seeing and being seen" - the introverted, central open space radiates calm with the help of a few design elements.