African Aviary |
| Hob Uid: 1169566 | |
Location :
Greater London Authority
City of Westminster
Non Civil Parish
|
| Grid Ref : TQ2808583496 |
| Summary : The African Aviary at London Zoo is situated on the site of an earlier aviary designed by Decimus Burton (1800-1881) and built in 1827-8. This was replaced in 1863-4 with the current building which was designed by Anthony Salvin (1799-1881) who was the Zoo's architect and built by Lucas Brothers. This was known as the Eastern Aviary and on its opening was regarded to be the best of its type in the country. It was more comparable to the Zoo's animal houses rather than the standard cage-aviaries and could house vulnerable birds within headed indoor cages which were viewable from a public passage. It originally housed ten outdoor cages. In 1989-90 the aviary was remodelled and renamed the African Aviary. The interior was refitted and the outdoor cage replaced with a larger one. The new design was John S Bonnington Partnership following a brief by Peter Olney, Curator of Birds. The rebuilding was by engineers Whiby and Bird, and relandscaping by Derek Howarth and Ron Whittle. The caging is of a hooped tubular steel frame with parallel wires stretched across the arches of the upper part of the frame, anchored at either end to fans on wing like steel footings with massive concrete foundations. The frame hold four cages which have artificial trees, rockwork, ponds and a waterfall. |
More information : The African Aviary at London Zoo is situated on the site of an earlier aviary designed by Decimus Burton (1800-1881) and built in 1827-8. This was replaced in 1863-4 with the current building which was designed by Anthony Salvin (1799-1881) the Zoo's architect, and built by Lucas Brothers. This was known as the Eastern Aviary and on its opening was regarded to be the best of its type in the country. It was more comparable to the Zoo's animal houses rather than the standard cage-aviaries and could house vulnerable birds within headed indoor cages which were viewable from a public passage. It originally housed ten outdoor cages.
In 1989-90 the aviary was remodelled and renamed the African Aviary. The interior was refitted and the outdoor cage replaced with a larger one. The new design was John S Bonnington Partnership following a brief by Peter Olney, Curator of Birds. The rebuilding was by engineers Whiby and Bird, and relandscaping by Derek Howarth and Ron Whittle. The caging is of a hooped tubular steel frame with parallel wires stretched across the arches of the upper part of the frame, anchored at either end to fans on wing like steel footings with massive concrete foundations. The frame hold four cages which have artificial trees, rockwork, ponds and a waterfall. (1) |