Pavilon šelem a divokých koček ZOO Jihlava

FAST VUT - Faculty of Civil Engineering, Brno University of Technology, Department of Architecture

Project idea

The proposed exhibition is situated on a sloped terrain within the Jihlava Zoo. The designated area has an irregular shape and is in close proximity to the main visitor route of the zoo. The pavilion extends along the slope from north to south. The northern side is embedded into the slope, creating flat areas capable of accommodating a higher concentration of visitors with the help of retaining walls. The eastern and western edges of the plot connect to existing pathways, revitalizing the paved areas currently designed to handle a higher number of visitors. These pathways are also planned with the required serviceability and accessibility for staff in mind. The southern side slopes down towards the zoo's main pathway and, by following the contour of the slope, does not exceed the established height limit compared to surrounding structures. These surrounding buildings include the hyena pavilion, animal farm, and bird aviaries. Their condition is not considered entirely satisfactory, so the pavilion design approach was innovative, aiming to use new constructions and materials suitable for the housed predators.
The pavilion offers an exterior service route for viewing the indoor exhibits of the Sumatran tiger, the fishing cat, and the Ceylon cat. The spaces for the wild cats are connected to outdoor aviaries under the open sky. Similarly, the indoor areas for the Sumatran tiger are linked with an outdoor aviary. This aviary is accessible to visitors via a walkway that extends around the entire territory. The walkway itself creates a covered exterior space to the south, providing an unconventional view into the lives of the housed predators. The covered space connects to outdoor paved areas, which are again considered for concentrating larger groups of visitors.

Project description

The building is designed as both interior and exterior exhibition complexes. The response to the construction site was aimed at offering visitors an exclusively exterior route around the entire pavilion, including an elevated walkway that creates a covered outdoor space. The aim was to focus on the outdoor pavilions of tigers and smaller predators, with the possibility of viewing the interiors of these animals through glass partitions. To ensure a fully functional outdoor environment for the predators, areas for hiding and forest cover, as well as lookout points on stone elevations, and water surfaces, were considered. All of this is in line with the needs of the animals and offers interesting viewing moments for visitors. For the proper density of the aviaries' vegetation, most of the original planting of trees and shrubs was utilized. Metal nets are stretched over the pavilion and anchored to the walls on the north side of the aviaries. These walls separate the outdoor enclosures from the indoor spaces. The first covered area for the tiger is its interior exhibition space, where feeding is considered. The room is connected to the visitor route by a large window, and natural light is also provided by a circular skylight. The adjoining room, isolated from visitors, is another smaller space for the tiger, where the aim was to provide a hiding place and safety. In addition to artificial lighting, natural light from another skylight also reaches here. From here, there are rooms for servicing and staff, including a room for capturing the tiger or possibly relocating it to isolation in the third designed enclosure. Additionally, there is a small hall for handling animals and equipment, considering the floor plan's possibilities for maneuvering a small truck. The room is once again illuminated by circular skylights. The hall is also connected to spaces for smaller predators, where, similar to the tiger, an interior exhibition space with the possibility of hiding was considered, along with an adjoining smaller outdoor aviary on the north side of the pavilion. The pavilion's northern end is capped by a smaller area for isolating the aforementioned small predators. Due to the terrain's placement of the building, it was possible to proceed with a mirrored design. The aforementioned western side mirrors the eastern side along the north-south axis. This increases the capacity, allowing for a minimum of two tigers and at least two smaller predator species to be housed. The technical hall also provides staff with small hygienic facilities and a technical room. From the hall, it is possible to leave the pavilion and access the exterior visitor route. As already mentioned, this route runs around the entire pavilion, with an opportunity to step onto the circular walkway at a certain point. The entire structure is designed in horizontal forms, due to the significant number of towering trees on the site. The aim was to create a walkway that weaves among the trees, floats over the terrain, and allows for observation of the wild predators in their open environment. The interior space beneath the walkway serves as a highlight of the circular route, offering an almost eye-to-eye view of the animals. Safety was a key aspect, ensured by a large water surface near the observation area beneath the walkway, strong safety glass, and railings connected to the metal mesh of the aviaries. This allows visitors to have a safe and thrilling experience, with the opportunity for further education and entertainment with interactive features and design in the covered area under the walkway.

Technical information

The construction and material choices were approached with consideration of the existing materials in the surrounding environment, taking into account the requirements for housing specific animal species, while also aiming to contribute new architecture and aesthetics to the repertoire of the Jihlava Zoo. The building is designed as a single-story structure, divided into indoor and outdoor spaces. A flat roof is planned, and large areas will feature a vegetative green roof, taking into account the use of rainwater and the preservation of the local rich fauna and flora. The building itself uses a wall system made of reinforced concrete panels, allowing for both spatial flexibility and durability in everyday operations. The panels are used throughout the entire structure, including the concrete construction of the walkway. This is executed transparently with the visible texture of the concrete. The heaviness of the concrete is then lightened by the front panels of the walkway, which feature a mosaic reminiscent of a tiger's silhouette. Supporting structures, such as frames for safety glass or aviary anchorings, are made of steel constructions. The materials used include the aforementioned concrete, as well as granite stone and travertine. The stone is used externally for cladding the exhibit sections, while the remaining wall surfaces are plastered. The color scheme is set in light pastel shades of yellow, gray, and brown.

Documentation

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