Gorilla Kingdom | London Zoo | London | Proctor and Matthews Architects

The ‘Gorilla Kingdom’ project is viewed by the Zoological Society of London (ZSL) as the most significant re-structuring of London Zoo for forty years. The scheme focuses on the wider zoo strategy of providing enlarged and enhanced animal enclosures and removing (where possible) bars, cages and the visually obtrusive barriers separating animals from visitors. The design evolved through a two year collaborative dialogue with the project team of in-house project advisors, animal experts, keepers and external consultants to create an immersive landscape and visitor attraction which will highlight the plight of western lowland gorillas and other native species of the African rainforests of the Congo, Rwanda and Gabon.......more

Australian Wildlife Centre | Minifie van Schaik Architects

The Australian Wildlife Centre is a building quite unique in both its function and form. It is both a fully functioning veterinary facility, and a remarkable and compelling experience for Sanctuary visitors.

The building has been designed to bring Healesville visitors into close contact with the vets and their patients to gain a vivid understanding of how sick and injured Australian animals are cared for. From a central space visitors can witness the diagnosis of animals, the work of the laboratory, see animals being operated on, and view them recovering and returning to health. A rich multimedia interpretive experience enables visitors to gain a keen understanding of how animals become injured and the full range of activities involved in their care
The AWC is organised around public gallery space where the ceiling dips and curves, resembling perhaps the ventricles of the heart and providing a central focus to the surrounding activities and exhibits. The roof form is also designed to work as a ‘solar chimney’, removing hot air from inside to prove passive ventilation to the gallery space, and so removing the need to air-condition. At the centre of the space the roof form descends to floor level to enclose a central space in which visitors may stand to view the multimedia explanation of animal trauma and care projected onto it’s surface. Constructed from a shimmering gold membrane, the structure is visible from the surrounding landscape. The AWC has been awarded the 2006 RAIA William Wardell Institutional Award and the 2008 Premier's Design Award for Cultural Architecture.....more

project:Australian Wildlife Health Centre
client:Zoos Victoria
date:2004-2007
location:Healesville Wildlife Sanctuary

Enclosure for African Apes | 'Wilhelma' Stuttgart | Hascher Jehle

building costs approx. 17.5 million EUR
start of construction 2008
completion 2010
floor area 2.529 sqm
The park-like character of the 'Wilhelma'-Zoo remains and will be continuing consequently. The conception of the scenery is being determined by two superior themes: the 'crest' and the 'forest'.
The 'crest': the area of the competition will be divided into two different areas; this fault also illustrates the partititions of the corral. Furthermore, the crest has been adjusted accordingly into the countryside. Thus, it can rather be percepted as part of the scenery than a house in its proper sense. Building and green have been attached together – the building becomes the topography of the park. This conception of a constructed countryside vitalizes the Wilhelma as a part of the Rosensteinpark.
Texts and images from: Hascher Jehle

Korkeasaari Zoo / Beckmann-N’Thépé architects - TN+ landscape designers

Architect: Beckmann-N’Thépé architects - Aldric Beckmann, Françoise N’thépé
Landscape design : TN+ / Bruno Tanant & Jean-Christophe Nani
Location: Helsinki, Finland
Project Manager: Wilfried Daufy
Project Architect: Anne-Catherine Dufros
Assistant Architects: Constance Héau, Jessica Pallatier
Landscape design team: Guillaume Derrien & Agathe Turmel
Zoo expert: Jean Marc Lernould
Constructed Area: 26,2 ha
Via Archdaily

Elephant House Copenhagen Zoo-Foster Partners

Roskildevej 32
2007
Architect: Foster + Partners
Via