Elephant House Zoo Zurich
Elephant House Zoo Zurich
Markus Schietsch Architekten
MANUFACTURERS
Sika, Adler, Neuco, Neue Holzbau Ag
LIGHT DESIGN
Bartenbach, Innsbruck
CONSTRUCTION MANAGEMENT
Fischer Architekten Ag, Bgs Architekten, Rapperswil
PANEL CONSTRUCTION/FACADE CONSTRUCTION
Merk Timber Gmbh, Züblin Holzingenieurbau
PRODUCTS USED IN THIS PROJECT
Architectural Concrete, Industrial Floor Coatings, Joint Sealing, Roof Systems
LANDSCAPE ARCHITECT
Eugster Landschaftsarchitektur Gmbh, Zurich Vetsch Partner Landschaftsarchitekten Ag, Zurich
STRUCTURAL ENGINEERS
Walt + Galmarini Ag
ELECTRICAL ENGINEERS
Schmidiger + Rosasco Ag
TECHNICAL SERVICES
Jona, Triair Consulting Ag
TIMBER CONSTRUCTION/FACADE
Arge Elefantenpark Holzbau, Implenia Schweiz Ag Holzbau , Strabag Ag Holzbau
FASTENING SOLUTIONS/SCREWS
FS Intec Ag
GENERAL PLANNERS
CGA GMBH, Winterthur | Bgs Architekten, Rapperswil
YEAR
2014
LOCATION
Zurich, Switzerland
CATEGORY
Zoo
Text description provided by architect.
The new elephant house in Zurich Zoo is embedded in the extensive landscape of the newly designed Kaeng Krachan Elephant Park.
The characteristic element of the new elephant house is its striking wooden roof which blends into the landscape as a shallow free-form shell-structure.
The roof dissolves into a transparent mazelike structure that establishes an organic relationship to the surrounding forest.
In the interior the roof unfolds its atmospheric effect: as if through a canopy of trees the sunlight filters through the intricate roof structure generating constantly changing light atmospheres.
The roof is designed as a shallow, free-spanning wooden shell. Prefabricated triple-layer panels were bent on-site into their form and nailed up. The openings were cut out on-site from the massive wooden shell.
The continuously changing facade structure consists of lamellas that seemingly grow up to the edge of the roof as an organically shaped band indicating the loadbearing areas.
The iconographic shell of the roof together with the dynamic façade form an atmospheric envelope and pictographic “Nature-Construction” concentrating the essence of the design into a symbiosis between architecture and landscape.
