An oasis in the heights: the secret garden of the Museu de Ciències Naturals de Barcelona reopens

After being closed for two years, Terrado Vivo — the 7,100 m² garden located on the rooftop of the Museu de Ciències Naturals — is blooming again, and it is doing so with more life than ever.

Far from being merely a pretty space with views, this suspended garden is now becoming a genuine natural laboratory. One of its major debuts is the Mesocosms: a series of open domes that simulate a 2 °C increase in temperature to study, under real conditions, how climate change will affect biodiversity.

The other major new feature is a display of Mediterranean flora that crosses borders: species originating not only from the Mediterranean, but also from climate-kindred areas such as California, South Africa and Chile. All this coexists with meadows, ponds and insect hotels, creating a living microcosm above the city's rooftops.

Photo by barcelona.cat

Photo by barcelona.cat

Terrado Vivo can be visited free of charge on Sunday afternoons, and is included in the museum's general admission. A place where science, nature and city come together... more than 20 metres above the ground.