ANOHA – The Children’s World of the Jewish Museum Berlin

ANOHA—The Children’s World of the Jewish Museum Berlin is inspired by both ancient and contemporary flood stories to help visitors understand issues related to contemporary climate change. Through exhibits utilizing imagination and play, the museum provides their guests with a sense of hope and possibility in the face of global issues like climate change, the cause of rising tides. Within ANOHA, visitors are encouraged to forge connections with one another, working together to create an empathetic future.

Constructed as a modern structure within an historic one, ANOHA is located within an existing former flower market hall directly opposite the existing Jewish Museum Berlin. At the heart of ANOHA is a circular wooden ark, standing almost 23 feet tall with a 92-foot base diameter. The ark is populated by more than 150 sculptural animals, designed by architects and fabricated from recycled objects by a team of artists and children. This approach encourages visitors to consider the importance of recycling and adaptive re-use, while supporting ANOHA’s core philosophy of creativity and imagination. Sustainable strategies are embedded in the architectural design as an integral part of the user experience. The “building within a building” approach retains the embodied carbon of the existing market hall, likewise reducing mechanical systems and significantly lowering energy loads. Ceiling fans and operable windows in the ark allow for air exchange with the surrounding hall. Overhead, clerestory windows in the market hall roof facilitate natural ventilation, controlled by sensors that monitor temperature and air quality.