🦒 Lincoln Park Zoo’s New Guest Hub: Where Nature Meets Architecture

Chicago’s Lincoln Park Zoo, founded in 1868, is one of North America’s oldest zoos – and it’s still FREE! 🎟️ Nestled in the heart of the city, it’s a green oasis connecting urbanites to wildlife. To elevate its mission, the zoo launched a renovation plan, transforming its East Entrance into a stunning new Visitor Center. 🏗️ Design Highlights 🎨 The J-shaped complex blends into the landscape, housing: Entrance Gate 🚪 Visitor Services 🗺️ Admin Offices 📊 Member Lounge 🛋️ Restrooms 🚻 A sleek structural canopy links the buildings, using cantilevered frames that seem to defy gravity – tension vs. compression in perfect balance! ⚖️ Sunlight filters through laser-cut “branch” patterns, mimicking dappled forest light. 🌞 Nature-Inspired Spaces 🌿 Courtyard: Boulders and flowering trees dot the landscape, with admin offices tucked discreetly behind. 🪨🌸 Info Center: Retractable glass walls open to the zoo in summer, blending indoors and out. 🌞 When closed, motorized “branch” gates secure the area (lion-proof! 🦁). Sustainability & Safety 🌍 The design prioritizes eco-friendly materials and animal safety. Those laser-cut branches? They’re climb-resistant for both humans and critters! 🚫🧗♂️ Legacy & Vision 🏛️ As one of America’s last free zoos, Lincoln Park’s new gateway symbolizes its role as a public steward – a bridge between city and wild. 🌉 #ChicagoZoo #UrbanGreenSpace #Architecture #FreeAttractions 🦁