Michael Sobell Pavilions |
| Hob Uid: 1170173 | |
Location :
Greater London Authority
City of Westminster
Non Civil Parish
|
| Grid Ref : TQ2806183441 |
| Summary : The Michael Sobell Pavilions for Apes and Monkeys at London Zoo were built in 1970-2 on the site of a Monkey House which was built in 1926. Originally plans for a new Monkey house were drawn up in 1966 by Franz Stengelhofen, the Zoo architect, as part of the New Zoo redevelopment of 1958, but these were never executed. The pavilions were designed by John Toovey and Jonathan Miles following a brief by Dr M R Brambell, Curator of Mammals and a benefaction by Sir Michael Sobell. The engineers were Anthony Hunt Associates and contractors Trollope and Colls Ltd. The building comprised five pavilions each of which was centred on a single storey brick built, flat roofed section which housed fifteen indoor viewing dens and forty four inner cages. Attached to the buildings were thirteen open-air enclosures surrounded by wire mesh. The south pavilion housed apes, the east larger monkeys, Giant Pandas in the north pavilion and the smaller monkeys to the west. The animals moved freely between indoors and outdoors through plastic flaps. In 2007 the pavilions were replaced by a new exhibit, Gorilla Kingdom, which comprises a giant moated island and indoor gym which houses a group of western lowland gorillas. The indoor area has translucent roof within to reduce the need for artificial lighting and to create a more naturally lit space. The new exhibit, designed by Proctor and Matthews, was inspired by a conservation project managed by Zoological Socitey of London in Gabon. It has been planted with plants and herbs that the gorillas can eat, and the island represents a natural forest clearing in the Central African rainforest. The area also houses several species of monkeys, birds and Nile Monitor lizards. |
More information : The Michael Sobell Pavilions for Apes and Monkeys at London Zoo were built in 1970-2 on the site of a Monkey House which was built in 1926. Originally plans for a new Monkey house were drawn up in 1966 by Franz Stengelhofen, the Zoo architect, as part of the 'New Zoo' redevelopment of 1958 but these were never executed. The pavilions were designed by John Toovey and Jonathan Miles following a brief by Dr M R Brambell, Curator of Mammals and a benefaction by Sir Michael Sobell. The engineers were Anthony Hunt Associates and contractors Trollope and Colls Ltd.
The building comprised five pavilions each of which was centred on a single storey brick built, flat roofed section which housed fifteen indoor viewing dens and forty four inner cages. Attached to the buildings were thirteen open-air enclosures surrounded by wire mesh. The south pavilion housed apes, the east larger monkeys, Giant Pandas in the north pavilion and the smaller monkeys to the west. The animals moved freely between indoors and outdoors through plastic flaps. (1)
In 2007 the pavilions were replaced by a new exhibit, Gorilla Kingdom, which comprises a giant moated island and indoor gym which houses a group of western lowland gorillas. The indoor area has translucent roof within to reduce the need for artificial lighting and to create a more naturally lit space. The new exhibit, designed by Proctor and Matthews, was inspired by a conservation project managed by Zoological Socitey of London in Gabon. It has been planted with plants and herbs that the gorillas can eat, and the island represents a natural forest clearing in the Central African rainforest. The area also houses several species of monkeys, birds and Nile Monitor lizards. (2-3)
|