London Zoo will be recast as a ‘wildlife campus’, recapturing a true sense of destination that at- tracts and inspires visitors from all over the world and the UK. The design seeks to maximise the site’s unique opportunities and overarching regeneration potential, to create a visionary and sustainable framework for the future. A transformed landscape puts animals first in complex mixed species habitats that mimic their natural biogeographical zones. Historic listed structures will be reimagined and repurposed as visitor destinations that elevate the Zoo experience. A new memorable entrance LONDON ZOO
square is envisioned to the north east corner, creating a more prominent and generous welcome to the Zoo. Barclay Court will become the first im- pression, with an active cluster of buildings offering a renewed level of intensity. There is scope for extended opening hours and evening events here, creating a true destination for London. The ambition is to consolidate conservation, science, veterinary and wildlife health facilities in an Institute of Biodiversity Campus. Here, science, veterinary and wildlife health services will go on display, offering glimpses of the many activities that current- ly happen behind the scenes.
Additional commercial buildings, as part of a Conservation Tech Quarter/Multi-University Hub, can offer partnership oppor- tunities with educational, tech and life- science operators right on the doorstep of London’s Knowledge Quarter. A diversified commercial mix will attract new audiences and providing a more sustainable, stable and diversified income to support ZSL’s global conser- vation mission. Proposed along- side the new workspaces are a wider range of accommoda- tion options, enabling students, researchers and visitors alike to stay longer and engage with ZSL on a deeper level.
THE MASTER PLAN
THE ZSL VISION ZSL is a global science-led conservation charity helping people and wildlife live better together, to restore the wonder and diversi- ty of life everywhere. Through our leading Zoos, we bring people closer to nature in shared spaces of wonder and unique cen- tres of learning, advancing knowledge to better protect wildlife today, while inspiring a lifelong love of animals in the conservation- ists of tomorrow. As we approach our 200th anniversary in 2026, we have developed a 10-20 year vision for how ZSL will lead that journey of global recovery for wildlife and biodiversity. A key part of that is our framework plans for our two UK centres of excel- lence: ZSL Regent’s Park and ZSL Whipsnade. The framework plans represent a root-and- branch rethink of what a 21st century scientific Zoo should and could be, and sets a strategic direction of travel for ZSL that will enable us to use our considerable physical assets much more effectively to achieve our goals. A mix of projects will combine to strengthen ZSL’s offering and amplify our impact as a global con- servation organisation and centre of excellence in wildlife science and conservation. At the future Zoo, the visitor will be invited to engage more vividly and deeply with wildlife, and learn about the work that ZSL does in-situ through immersive digital interventions. The framework plans are
not a ‘finished product’ to be delivered as illus- trated, but rather as a broad direction of travel, allowing for different individual projects to evolve over time. Each of the projects will require further detailed design, planning approval and public consultation as part of its realisation. The plans identify opportunities for consolidation of uses as well as repurposing and restructuring of the Zoos’ sites. New opportunities for infra- structure and the built environment are highlight- ed, as well as the potential to reuse buildings that are unused, underused or not fit for purpose. Many of the unused ‘legacy’ buildings no longer meet animal husbandry welfare standards, and could become spaces for people instead. Often, facilities are scattered across the site, and there is an opportunity to bring these together in pur- pose built and more efficient buildings or clusters of buildings. The scale of the vision at both Zoos is signifi- cant, and changes will take place over several decades. It is therefore important to allow for sufficient flexibility in the plans to ensure that they can withstand the test of time, and adapt with changing needs and regulations, market forces and financial realities. In this context, the plans provide the backbones of the place, with options and variables possible for many of the buildings and sites across the two Zoos.
NorthBank
SouthBank
Snowdon Aviary
Conservation TechQuarter/ Multi-University Hub
New Entrance
ZSL Institute ofBiodiversity
Asian Forest
African Forest
Mappin Terraces
Casson Pavilion
African Savannah
6
7
Made with FlippingBook Annual report maker