BIG proposes cage-free "Zootopia" redesign for iconic Danish zoo

BIG brings out a rather "wild" concept in Zootopia, a commission they received from the iconic Givskud Zoo in Denmark. The proposal includes a spacious cage-free zoo landscape for the animals to roam in, which is divided into three zones titled "Asia", "Africa", and "America". Human visitors can stay out of the animals' plain sight by observing and ogling at them in structures integrated as much as possible into the landscape.

On one hand, a manmade zoo can never fully replace the animals' true natural habitat, no matter how spacious or meticulously replicated. But let's have a look at BIG's proposal right below.

Project statement:

"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?"

Project details

Name: ZOOTOPIA
Code: ZOO
Program: Culture
Status: In Progress
Size in m2: 1,200,000
Project type: Commission
Client: Givskud Zoo
Location: Givskud, Denmark

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

All images courtesy of BIG.

For more BIG articles on Bustler, click here.

Click the thumbnails below for project diagrams.