Wender·Vista
Tropical Islands
shown on ceramic, 12-inch tileGermany
in a former airship hangar south of Berlin

Tropical Islands

— the tropics under a steel sky.

— Where it lives

Not only on a wall.

A small tile on the nightstand catching the morning. A larger one above the fire. Yours, wherever you spend the slow hours.
— On the nightstand, a 6-inch on a walnut stand
— Among the books, a 6-inch leaning into the spines
— Beside the kettle, a 12-inch propped
— Down a quiet hall, an 18-inch floating off the wall
— Above the fire, the 24-inch in a walnut surround
— a note from the studio

“An indoor rainforest inside what was built as a hangar for airships — one of the largest free-standing halls on earth, set in the flat pine country southeast of Berlin. The air holds around twenty-six degrees while Brandenburg freezes outside. Palms, a lagoon, an artificial beach. The slow weather of somewhere else entirely, under a single curved roof.

from the studio
Tropical Islands
— bring it home

Tropical Islands, on ceramic.

Each tile is finished by hand in our Knoxville studio. Artwork is slowly infused into the ceramic surface under high heat and pressure, and rests beneath a thin glossy finish. The colour lives in the surface, not on top of it.

What kind of piece?
One tile — square or rectangle.
How big?
the popular one — counter, shelf, nightstand
6 × 6 in · 15 cm · 1.6 lb
Surface finish
A clear glossy finish — the artwork reads as if under resin. Ideal for show-pieces and framed wall art.
How it sits
A hidden cleat — sits ¼″ proud of the wall.
$58
Hand-finished and shipped from our studio at the foot of the Smokies. On your wall in about ten days.
— size
6 × 6 in
15 cm
— weighs
1.6 lb
solid in the hand
— surface
ceramic, hand-finished
art rests beneath a thin glossy finish
— from
Knoxville, TN
our family studio, at the foot of the Smokies
— start a Coaster Set

Pick any four 4-inch tiles — National Parks you've been to, a Smokies set, the four seasons of one place. $ for a set of , cork-backed, ready to live on the table.

— about Tropical Islands

The place, in three passes.

A little of what's known, in case you fall down the rabbit hole — or want to go see it yourself.
— the place

The resort occupies the former CargoLifter hangar in Krausnick-Groß Wasserburg, in the Dahme-Spreewald district of Brandenburg, about sixty kilometres southeast of Berlin. Built in 2000 for an airship venture that never reached production, the hall measures 360 metres long, 210 wide, and 107 high — one of the largest free-standing halls on earth. After CargoLifter's bankruptcy the Malaysian Tanjong group bought the site, and the resort opened in December 2004 with a rainforest, a lagoon, and an indoor beach beneath the single curved roof.

— the air

The interior holds a steady twenty-six degrees Celsius and around sixty-four percent humidity, regulated by translucent roof panels and a forced-air system that draws cooler air down the long sides. Roughly fifty thousand plants grow inside, including breadfruit, ginger, and several mangrove species. A section of ETFE foil on the south face of the roof lets ultraviolet light through so the rainforest receives enough sun to sustain itself, while outside the surrounding Spreewald sits below freezing for weeks at a time.

— the visit

The site is open 24 hours a day, with overnight cabins, tents pitched on the artificial beach, and a separate sauna village beyond the lagoon. Day visitors are admitted from 06:00 to midnight. Many arrive by direct shuttle from Berlin Schönefeld Airport or by regional train to Brand Tropical Islands station, a kilometre from the entrance. Swimwear is required in the main water areas and prohibited in the sauna zone, in the standard German fashion. Lockers, towels, and food courts are inside the hall.

— where
Germany · Krausnick-Groß Wasserburg, Brandenburg
— elevation
60 m · 197 ft
— position
52.0383° N · 13.7461° E
— the neighborhood

What's nearby.

A handful of named places within an hour's walk or short drive. Some we've already painted; some we will.
60 km NW
Berlin
capital city
25 km W
Spreewald
biosphere reserve
55 km SE
Cottbus
town
N
Tropical Islands
Berlin
Spreewald
Cottbus
— common questions

What people ask.

A few questions we get about Tropical Islands — and about bringing the piece home.
— about the place

An indoor tropical resort in Brandenburg, Germany, built inside a former CargoLifter airship hangar. It contains a rainforest, a lagoon, an artificial beach, and a sauna village, kept at a steady twenty-six degrees.

In Krausnick-Groß Wasserburg, in the Dahme-Spreewald district of Brandenburg, about sixty kilometres southeast of central Berlin and accessible by regional train to Brand Tropical Islands station.

The hall measures 360 metres long, 210 metres wide, and 107 metres high, making it one of the largest free-standing halls on earth. It enclosed roughly 5.5 million cubic metres of interior space.

The resort opened in December 2004 after the Malaysian Tanjong group bought the bankrupt CargoLifter site. The original hangar had been completed four years earlier, in 2000.

Yes. Lodging includes themed cabins on the rainforest perimeter, tents pitched on the artificial beach inside the hall, and a separate hotel adjacent to the main building.

The hall is heated and humidified mechanically, with translucent ETFE foil on part of the roof admitting natural ultraviolet light. About fifty thousand plants live inside, including breadfruit, ginger, and mangrove.

— about the piece in your home

It tends to land well for visitors and the families of staff. The Coaster or Small with a handwritten studio note travels easily; a Medium frames the strangeness of the place at desk scale.

The Voynich palette suits Jewel-tone Maximalist, Biophilic Modern, and Mid-century rooms where deep greens already live. The colour gives a soft glow against warm wood and plaster.

The piece reads as plant-forward without being literal botanical art. It pairs with biophilic schemes that already use ferns, fiddle-leaf, and rattan, holding green and amber together.

Above a standard three-seat sofa, a single Large reads from the room, a 4-tile Mural fills the wall, and a 9-tile Mural makes the wall itself. Above a console, a Medium or Large.

Yes. Order the Dura Satin or Matte finish for any wet or steam-prone area. Both are scratch-resistant and read softer than the Glossy show finish used for framed wall pieces.

A dry microfibre cloth handles most dust. For kitchen or bath installations, a damp microfibre with plain water clears film. Avoid abrasive pads and ammonia cleaners.

Yes. Every WenderVista tile is original to the studio, hand-finished in Knoxville, Tennessee, and not licensed from any third-party artist or stock library.

— if this one stayed with you

A few you might also love.

Hand-picked by the eye that found Sorapis. Same air, same kind of quiet.