We’re Inspecting the Aviary Slated for Modernization at the Warsaw Zoo

We were recently invited to a meeting at the Warsaw Zoo regarding the planned renovation of the aviary in the birdhouse building. Naturally, such invitations aren’t turned down, and after a few hours’ drive from Wrocław, I was already there for a preliminary site visit.

Inside the aviary building, two rooms had been prepared and connected by cutting an opening in the wall separating the aviaries. From what I’ve learned, this enclosure had been taken out of the exhibition for quite some time and was sitting on the back burner, waiting for someone to properly take care of it. There’s not much to say—the current state consists of nothing but walls with a gaping hole serving as a passage to the adjacent room and the floor. Since a picture is worth a thousand words, below are photos documenting the aviary’s condition.

I was very pleased that the zoo already had certain expectations regarding the enclosure’s theming. The main inspiration was the Angkor Wat temples in Cambodia. The expectations were quite high, and the intended effect was to capture visitors’ attention. That’s why I decided to build a replica of a temple featuring reliefs and a sculpture of Buddha’s head—which are the main motifs of the real Angkor temples. An important part of the project was designing the space connecting the two rooms in such a way that it wouldn’t look artificial and would conceal the old plumbing running through a pipe that was in a very exposed location.

However, the very nature of the catwalk allowed for the use of many design techniques that would perfectly conceal such areas. After a quick discussion of the shape of the planned structure, the first concepts were developed upon my return, and ultimately, this simple visualization was created.

The renovation will include:

1. Covering the wall with imitation rock blocks and installing planters in some of the blocks

2. Constructing a “temple roof” with a relief on the ventilation structure

3. A sculpture of a Buddha’s head, made of stone blocks

4. Construction of a gate between the animal enclosures

5. Creating fig tree roots that will grow over the temple gate

6. Construction of a bird pond with a drain connected to the sewer system

7. Construction of an artificial tree with a root system designed to spread across the entire width of the aviary. Planters are to be placed among the roots

8. Installation of natural vines

After discussing a few details regarding the construction technology itself and signing the contract, we proceeded to pack our bags, rent an apartment, and quickly move to Warsaw for the duration of the work. But more on that in the next post.