A journey to the zoo can be a sobering experience, depending on which zoo you visit. Animals penned up and paraded around daily aren't in the happiest of environments, and not everyone finds such places agreeable. BIG, the Danish architects have targeted this issue with a concept design for a zoo in Denmark's Givskud that keeps humans hidden.
The project, according BIG, will attempt to “integrate and hide buildings” within the landscape, however if you check the project this is an ambigous idea: What have they got in there, King Kong? said The Copenhagen Post. Upon entering the zoo, visitors can either enter a large central square or climb the “building-landscape,” allowing them to get a general overview of the layout of the park. From this central element, visitors can access different areas of the zoo. A 4km hiking trail connects the different areas, the park which is hoped to be about 300 acres, divided into three continents, which represent; Africa, America and Asia.
The first part of Zootopia is hoped to be completed in 2019 to coincide with Givskud zoo’s fiftieth anniversary.
Description of the project by BIG
Architects’ greatest and most important task is to design man-made ecosystems – to ensure that our cities and buildings suit the way we want to live. We must make sure that our cities offer a generous framework for different people – from different backgrounds, economy, gender, culture, education and age – so they can live together in harmony while taking into account individual needs as well as the common good. Nowhere is this challenge more acrimonious than in a zoo. It is our dream – with Givskud – to create the best possible and freest possible environment for the animals’ lives and relationships with each other and visitors.
To create a framework for such diverse users and residents such as gorillas, wolves, bears, lions and elephants is an extremely complex task. We are pleased to embark on an exciting journey of discovery with the Givskud staff and population of animals – and hope that we could both enhance the quality of life for the animals as well as the keepers and guests – but indeed also to discover ideas and opportunities that we will be able to transfer back into the urban jungle. Who knows perhaps a rhino can teach us something about how we live – or could live in the future?
CREDITS.-
Project team. Partner in Charge.- Bjarke Ingels, Jakob Lange.
Project Leader.- Nanna Gyldholm Møller. Team.- Aleksander Wadas, Thomas Juul Jensen, Romain Pequin, Agnete Jukneviciute, Sofia Adolfsson and Maren Allen.
Size.- 1,200,000 sqm.
Client.- Givskud Zoo.
