More Elephant Controversy...

As I've posted in the past, elephants at zoos have been the target of much controversy in the recent years.   Dallas Zoo recently fought public outcry to keep their lone elephant, and Chicago residents have been fighting to essentially outlaw elephants in captivity within the city limits. 

Now, the Zoo has announced it will continue the exhibit construction, against dissenting opinions.  It will become one of the over 60 zoos in the country to make the decision to keep their elephants, renovating their current exhibits or adding entirely new ones.

The new exhibit will be world class, promises the Zoo.  At over 3 acres of animal space, it would be one of the largest in the nation.   The Zoo plans on adding 3 females to make a 4 animal herd. 

Now, Los Angeles joins the spotlight, as the Zoo here has decided to keep its lone bull elephant, Billy.  Due to the star-studded cast of  outspoken animal activists, the Zoo halted construction on the elephant's new enclosure in order to re-evaluate its plans, and to hear dissenting opinions.  At the stoppage, approximately 30% of the project was complete.

Good luck to all involved in this brave project!

Humboldt Penguins Get New Digs at Woodland Park Zoo

Designed by Studio Hanson Roberts, the new exhibit to open in May of this year, features green technologies and themed design.  The penguins' new home will be outdoor, and features 30'  of underwater viewing. 

The commendable  plan for the exhibit includes heating/cooling the exhibit pool through geothermal wells, and water filtration through a combination of traditional filters and Living Machine-type natural filtration.  The water volume will be supplemented as needed with rainwater collected from back of house roofs. 

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xff3p7KjdA8&eurl=http://www.zoo.org/penguins/index.html&feature=player_embedded]

Historic Renovation to House Monkeys at KC Zoo

Kansas City Zoo has been workly lately to give itself  a face-lift.  The Zoo, considered by locals to be the "red-headed step kid" to the world-famous St. Louis Zoo (a mere 3 hours' drive away), has seen less and less support in recent decades.  To counter this, the Zoo has set about new construction and renovations projects throughout the facilty. 

On the heels of the recently re-opened front entry plaza, including streamlined ticketing, parking, and otters as soon as you walk in, the Zoo is currently working on a renovation of its historic 1909 building.  This building, which started its life as the sole animal habitat for the Zoo, has been through several iterations, most recently as an education building. 

Now, however, construction is reclaiming its primary use, and inside the building a rainforest exhibit is being created.  Tropical plants are being flown in from Florida to make as realistic a home as possible for the monkey species, anteaters, tropical birds, and capybara which will call this place home.

The relatively small budget of $5.1 million will allow for nearly 8000 square feet of exhibit space and 5000 square feet of support.  The highlight of the exhibit is a glass enclosed bridge through the trees, where guests should be able to view monkeys playing in the branches, up close.

This exhibit is due to open in May, coinciding with the Zoo's Centennial celebration.  Other upcoming plans include new homes for polar bears and penguins.

Chester Zoo's Answer to Bristol Zoo's EcoPark

As pointed out in a comment on Bristol Zoo's Eco Park, Chester Zoo has just unveiled a comparative project.  Very little in the way of imagery is available, but this project seems to mimic the Eden Project in its use of a bio-dome to create a simulated African rainforest. 

At nearly $550 million, Chester Zoo has poised itself to become the top zoo in the world for displaying African rainforest fauna.   The project, encompassing approximately 200 acres (more than double the size of many city zoos, including Cincinnati, Philadelphia, and St. Louis), incorporates many theme park elements, such as a directly linked hotel and a water ride. 

From BBC News:

"A giant dome housing a rainforest is part of a £225m plan to transform Chester Zoo into Europe's largest conservation attraction.

The project includes a 56 hectare indoor African-themed rainforest where gorillas, chimpanzees and other tropical animals can move freely.

The £90m eco dome, which would form the initial phase of the scheme, would be the first of its kind in the UK.

A 90-room hotel is also set to be part of plans submitted later this year.

The project, called Natural Vision, includes a Conservation College and a revamped main entrance linking it to a marina development on zoo land next to the Shropshire Union Canal.

The dome itself will have an interactive water ride to give visitors unique views of the animal enclosures.

The aim is, by 2018, to showcase and support the zoo's international conservation work, which currently involves 50 countries.

Prof Gordon McGregor Reid, director general of Chester Zoo, said: "Natural Vision will offer a fun, family-friendly, adventurous, yet educational window on the world of conservation.

"New and exciting animal species will be introduced. This project is unlike anything that has been in the UK and will offer a spectacular visitor experience and the highest standards of animal welfare."

The zoo, which celebrates its 75th anniversary in May, attracts 1.3m visitors a year.

The new project is expected to see visitors rise to 2m when complete. Chester Zoo spans 50 hectares but owns another 200.

When finished, Natural Vision will cover 80 hectares including new road access and parking.

Meanwhile, hundreds of jobs will be created for the north west, during construction and following completion of the project, said a zoo spokesman.

Prof McGregor Reid added: "Our visitors will be immersed in the world of wildlife where we will engage, inform educate and amaze them in a truly thrilling and unique environment." "

I'm looking forward to getting more details and images on the plans for the expansion.  Much luck to all involved!

Malaysian Aquarium Finds a Silver Lining

Many zoos and aquariums are faced with very little capital budget to do major overhauls of exhibit areas.  Unfortunately, too many facilities wallow in that fact and instead of finding a creative way to keep their exhibits in top order, just allow them to falter and to, ultimately, become decripit and failing.

I stumbled upon this great blog post by a man known to me only as "Herman," whom apparently works in the exhibits department at a Malaysian Zoo.  The Zoo had an aquarium, which they let fall into disrepair for many years, eventually leading to the Zoo closing it down.  However, despite having very little money, the Zoo decided to resurrect the aquarium exhibit. 

The blog outlines the small changes that made a big difference in this modest aquarium exhibit.  Although not state-of-the-art nor groundbreaking, the inexpensive changes made a very big difference in the functionality and success of the exhibit, and make a wonderful example of a small budget, big impact project that I thought needed to be shared.

Take a look, here.

Bristol Zoo's New Eco-Zoo

Its been touted as the "Eden Project" of wildlife. 

However, if you've been to the Eden Project, you'll know this project seems to fall short.  Very short, in my opinion.  

The Eden Project was, and is, as innovative in approach, as it was in design, made all that more impressive by the fact that botanical gardens and arboretia tend to be, well, on the more dull side.  The Eden Project, built in a reclaimed clay mine, brought hip to gardens; it connects the reality of being green to the flashy, trendy movement.  It creates a place to enjoy nature as an art, and art in nature, sometimes quite literally.  It's also beautiful, fun, exciting, and a gorgeous piece of architecture and landscape architecture.

Bristol Zoo's "Eco-Zoo", which was conceived over 40 years ago and since shelved, claims to become "the first conservation-led animal visitor attraction of its kind in the UK."  The $140 million Park is planned at 136 acres, and aims to be open by 2012, a lofty goal considering it hasn't yet been approved.  The Park estimates attendance at 400,000 annually.  

Touting itself as the "next generation of zoological attractions", I'm especially curious at what it aims to do differently.  The single article I could find about it outlines a few key points:

1.  "Bristol's "eco zoo" could connect the inherent interest value of captive animals with the conservation methods needed to save their wild cousins."

2. "The whole idea of captivity will be reduced to a minimum....The often controversially cramped spaces of the Victorian era's most famous zoos are gone – replaced with open land, moats and ditches."

3. "...most importantly, the four themed areas of the park...have all been chosen to reflect specific areas of the world where conservation is desperately needed to save critically endangered species. "

 So far, this sounds very similar to most zoos creating new exhibits across the U.S. and world.  Victorian era design died in the Victorian era, and as illustrated in a previous post, the idea of landscape immersion has been around since the 1970s.  Creating themed areas based on conservation needs is what is done with virtually every new exhibit out there.  What of all of the recent and upcoming Arctic exhibits?  Bronx Zoo's Madagascar!? I'm duly unimpressed thus far...

The Eco-Zoo's British Woodland Exhibit

But then there's this:

"Food for the animals will be organic, while 80 per cent of the building material will be locally sourced and sustainable. "

And this:

"Every aspect of the park's design incorporates sustainability, from the buildings and the engineering infrastructure to the landscape."

Now that's new.  Seriously, folks.  Zoos tout themselves as conservation leaders, but are some of the most un-green institutions out there.  Tremendous amounts of water and electricity are wasted daily on washout of stalls and sustaining water life support systems in tanks and pools, amongst other things.  

Buildings themselves are most often behind the scenes and often suffer from the smallest budget.  For this reason, environmentally friendly alternative building practices rarely are integrated.   Recently, however, some zoos have been making an effort with their "non-animal" buildings, such as the LEED silver certified Nutrition Center at St. Louis Zoo.  

Speaking of the infamous LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Accreditation, no standards exist for buildings housing animals.  So, zoos and aquariums looking to do right by the environment through LEED (and gain a little good press and grant money, too), are oftentimes without means.   In the non-profit sector (as in many others), if you can't gain revenue or attendance increases from something, it isn't done.  And there goes the green leadership...

However, if this project can put their money where their mouth is (almost literally!), they may be onto something special.  If not for innovation in zoological exhibit design, then definitely for innovation in zoological construction and green design. 

I'll be keeping my eyes peeled for more news about this potentially exciting project.

Dubai's Record Setting Acrylic

Recently opened Dubai Aquarium, inside the gargantuan Dubai Mall, set the new Guiness World Record for "World's Largest Acrylic Panel" this November.  According to Emaar Malls, the Dubai Mall developer, the panel measures "32.88 metres wide x 8.3 metres high x 750 mm thick...weighing 245,614 kg, the viewing panel at Dubai Aquarium surpasses the current Guinness World Record holder, Churaumi Aquarium in Okinawa, Japan, at 22.5 metres wide x 8.2 metres high and 600 mm thick."

For those metric-impared Americans, that's  nearly 108' wide x 27' tall.  This dwarfs the large and impressive Ocean Voyager acrylic panel at Georgia Aquarium, which is 61' wide x 23' tall. 

The large tank also has a long tunnel, running about 160' in length at a depth of 36'.  Georgia Aquarium's tunnel is only 100' in length at a similar depth.  However, both of these tunnels are tiny compared to L'Aquarium in Barcelona, Spain.  This tunnel is reportedly over 260' in length!

The rest of the Dubai Aquarium includes three habitat centered thematic zones:  Living Ocean (different from the large ocean tank), Rocky Shore, and Rainforest.

Living Ocean highlights unusual individual specimens such as Moray Eels, Jellies, and Sea Dragons.  The Rocky Shore showcases Humboldt penguins, Harbour seals, and a touch tidal pool.  The Rainforest focuses on interesting freshwater creatures like piranha, catfish, and otters.

More NY Aquarium Renderings

Renderings of shark exhibit concept from designers, WRT.  Thanks, Rob, for the tip!

Correction to earlier post:  WRT and Cloud 9 are the design competition winning team.  I reported that Smith-Miller +Hawkinson had the winning design.  I apologize for the confusion. 

New York Aquarium Facelift?

For years, it seems, the NY Aquarium has been flirting with revamping its exterior.  In 2006, the city hosted a design competition for that very reason.  Three very interesting finalists were chosen, and eventually, one winner announced. 

Then, this spring, that design was thrown out the window for apparently being too restrictive to potential future growth.  The next step, according to city officials, is to re-work the interior of the aquarium to attract new visitors. 

First on the plate? A new shark tank. The $50 million tank would triple the aquarium's current shark population to 40, and plans for the 300,000 gallon tank include an arch for guests to walk beneath.  For comparison, 300,000 gallons is approximately 1/18th the size of the Ocean Voyager tank at Georgia Aquarium.  $50 million for 300,000 gallons seems a bit pricey to me, so perhaps other unreported exhibits are included in that number.

All of those plans are now moot, though, as the New York state government is proposing 55% budget cuts to all of the state's "living museums."  This includes the NY Aquarium, the Bronx Zoo, and the Botanical Gardens, amongst many others.  If this proposal passes, any redesign or renovation of the Aquarium is surely to die. 

Sadly, I'm awaiting news of these types of budget cuts to occur all across the U.S. and the world, as unfortunately, educational and entertainment budgets are always the first to go.  If your local zoo, aquarium, or living museum is currently facing major cutbacks, please let me know and I'll gladly post your story here.