Sea Lion Pond |
| Hob Uid: 1507957 | |
Location :
Greater London Authority
City of Westminster
Non Civil Parish
|
| Grid Ref : TQ2803483338 |
| Summary : The sea lion pond at London Zoo was originally built in 1905 to house sea lions and penguins and was designed by Sir Peter Chalmers Mitchell, Secretary of the London Zoological Society. The exhibit was the Zoo's first attempt at a naturalistic outdoor display and was based on similar structures in Paris and Cologne. The pond is irregular in plan, about 30 metres in length, which is concrete lined and contained islands. At the west end is a 4 metre high rock screen constructed of limestone, sandstone, slate and concrete. This originally stood to a height of 9 metres and resembled a cliff face and screened the sleeping quarters and service areas. This rockwork was installed by James Robert Pulham (1873-1957) and possibly James Pulham III (1845-1920) of James Pulham and Son. In 1992 the pond was relandscaped, this involved the removal of the islands. To the south of the pond is a reinforced concrete public viewing stand designed by Franz Stengelhofen, the Zoo's architect, and built in 1967. |
More information : The sea lion pond at London Zoo was originally built in 1905 to house sea lions and penguins and was designed by Sir Peter Chalmers Mitchell, Secretary of the London Zoological Society. The exhibit was the Zoo's first attempt at a naturalistic outdoor display and was based on similar structures in Paris and Cologne. The pond is irregular in plan, about 30 metres in length, which is concrete lined and contained islands. At the west end is a 4 metre high rock screen constructed of limestone, sandstone, slate and concrete. This originally stood to a height of 9 metres and resembled a cliff face and screened the sleeping quarters and service areas. In 1992 the pond was relandscaped, this involved the removal of the islands. To the south of the pond is a reinforced concrete public viewing stand designed by Franz Stengelhofen, the Zoo's architect, and built in 1967. The steps of the viewing stand are sheltered by a cantilevered roof and the back of the stand has a brick screen wall. Three dens and wire mesh enclosures, which were used to house dogs, were situated beneath the stand. (1)
The rockwork within the enclosure was installed by James Robert Pulham (1873-1957) and possibly James Pulham III (1845-1920) of James Pulham and Son in 1905. (2-3) |