Botanical Garden Closes Due to Construction Work

Due to construction work, the Botanical Garden will be closed to the public from September 21, 2026, through February 28, 2027. During this time, the gardening team will also be carrying out repair and renovation work in the greenhouses and outdoor areas. Regardless, all educational events and guided tours scheduled for this period will take place—groups will be admitted individually. From March 1, 2027, until the completion of construction work in the first quarter of 2029, the Botanical Garden will be temporarily accessible to visitors only through a temporary side entrance on the east side, accessible from the Großer Garten.

Planning for the redesign of the Botanical Garden at the TUD Dresden University of Technology has been underway since 2022. In the first phase of construction, the Geophyte House was completed in 2023. This greenhouse houses plants that survive unfavorable seasons underground.

Construction Work Around the Entrance Area

Now, in a second construction phase, three additional projects will be carried out in the area surrounding the entrance on Stübelallee:

• The former inspector’s house to the right of the entrance—which was only provisionally rebuilt after sustaining war damage—will be converted and expanded into a modern herbarium building. In the future, a new addition to the building will house scientific plant collections—herbaria.
• In the basement of the former Board of Directors building—which continues to be used as staff facilities for the gardeners—a new electrical power plant is being constructed in a new structure.
• An underground utility tunnel is being built across the garden. In the future, all utility lines to the buildings and greenhouses will run through this tunnel.

State-of-the-art utility infrastructure

The Saxon State Herbarium and the valuable scientific collection of living plants—which contributes to global species conservation in an era of dwindling natural habitats—will thus be secured for teaching and research for decades to come. At the same time, the construction work will improve workplace safety, optimize horticultural workflows, and make resource use more efficient.

In addition to state-of-the-art utility systems, the roofs of the renovated buildings will feature green roofs and photovoltaic systems. Rainwater will be directed into the redesigned Asienteich pond, which acts as a retention basin during heavy rainfall until the water overflows into cisterns, where it is ultimately available for watering the plant collection.

Funding for the project is available from the European Regional Development Fund (EE-EFRE), which supports investments aimed at improving the energy performance of university buildings and state-owned properties. The construction project is co-financed by tax revenues based on the budget approved by the Saxon State Parliament.