💙Chicago Zoo Visitor Center 🏟😅
Located in Lincoln Park Zoo, Chicago, established in 1868, it is one of the oldest zoos in North America. 🌳 🌳Nestled in the heart of downtown Chicago, the zoo serves as a vital institution for urbanites to connect with nature and foster a bond between humans and the natural world.🎭 🍎To enhance the visitor experience and strengthen environmental 🌱conservation efforts, the zoo launched a facility upgrade plan to reshape the way visitors interact with the space, including the transformation of the pavilion at the east entrance into a new visitor center.🌿🌱 💙The new visitor center building comprises an entrance gate, visitor reception area, administrative offices, a member lounge, and public restrooms, all seamlessly integrated into the natural landscape. 🎉 The two structures combine to form a "J" shape,🎤 visually connected by an innovative structural canopy with cantilevered frames that support and suspend each other. 🎉 🎭These opposing forces - tension and compression - work together to create a balanced aesthetic. When visitors arrive, the tree-branch motifs adorning the pergola filter the light, mimicking the effect of sunlight filtering through a forest.🌿🌱 The courtyard is dotted with boulders and flowering trees, surrounded by administrative offices. 📚 💙The information center features a retractable curtain wall that opens up to the zoo grounds in the summer, enriching the visitor experience and fostering an open and welcoming atmosphere. When the zoo is closed, large sliding doors with tree-branch motifs are also closed. 😂 📚The design of these branch motifs has been optimized to prevent easy climbing by both humans and animals, especially considering the lion enclosure near the east gate, ensuring the safety of the building and the entire zoo.🌿 🎉Chicago Zoo is one of the few remaining free zoos in the United States, and the new visitor center represents a gesture from this public institution, serving as a gateway to the park, the city, and the world beyond.👑😂 #UrbanLandscapeChronicles #UrbanRenewal #LandscapeDesign🎤
