I'm sure there would be room for a couple of aviaries too!
ZSL London Zoo ZSL London Zoo News 2018
- Thread starter Panthera1981
- Start date
sooty mangabey
Well-Known Member
Yes, but the failure to properly maintain buildings long predates the relatively recent construction of the (pretty good) tiger exhibit and the (execrable) lion thing.
If the aquarium does go, the zoo starts to look even emptier and even less alluring....
Hell of a loss then. That leaves the Reptile House and the Blackburn as the only good bits.
I'd argue the insect house is also a highlight!
OK you're right. What I particularly dislike is that big pond near the restaurant, with nothing in it!
Is that on top of the £25m + needed to renovate the Mappins?
sooty mangabey
Well-Known Member
Which pond do you mean? There’s only really the Three Island
Pond, which isn’t especially near the restaurant, and which does have stuff in it (pelicans, flamingoes, some wildfowl).
Even then the Blackburn seems to have about half it's outdoor aviaries off show since the monstrosity of the lions was built.
A mega huge loss. A failure both on zoo management and City of London administration
What information do we have on the closure? It does seem like closing down the whole of the aquarium for an extended period of time would be nigh on suicidal mistake. My impression from the planning permission documents that were posted in this thread a while back was that there would be behind the scenes refurbishment in the aquarium and in the Mappins along with a remodelled entrance hall. Perhaps it’s just me being optimistic but would it not make more sense for a series of rolling refurbishments to keep the hall open for as long as possible? Start with the back and work their way out?
I don’t know. I’m trying to look at it in the long term and if the end result is an aquarium the zoo can be proud of, an interesting and effectively designed colobus exhibit in the Snowdon aviary and a Casson Pavilion functioning as anything other then surplus meerkat and wayward hyrax storage then it’ll be worth it. But with this sad news it does lead me to wonder what exactly ZSL’s budgetary priorities are because there seems to be a number of cheaper solutions to the problems they’re investing millions to solve. It’s so sad that I’m finding it so hard to cheer on one of my favourite places in the world.
But hey who knows? I’ve seen plans on one architects website that seem to have the Casson remodelled as a massive marine aquarium/restaurant so maybe it’s that?/sarcasm
I don’t know. I’m trying to look at it in the long term and if the end result is an aquarium the zoo can be proud of, an interesting and effectively designed colobus exhibit in the Snowdon aviary and a Casson Pavilion functioning as anything other then surplus meerkat and wayward hyrax storage then it’ll be worth it. But with this sad news it does lead me to wonder what exactly ZSL’s budgetary priorities are because there seems to be a number of cheaper solutions to the problems they’re investing millions to solve. It’s so sad that I’m finding it so hard to cheer on one of my favourite places in the world.
But hey who knows? I’ve seen plans on one architects website that seem to have the Casson remodelled as a massive marine aquarium/restaurant so maybe it’s that?/sarcasm
cliffxdavis
Well-Known Member
Perhaps they will reinstate the walk through hummingbird aviary. I would visit again if they did.
I've not been there for several years, but there was a big pond thing, relatively recent (sponsored by a bank?). I know the Three Island Pond well. Love it, it's more or less an original feature. Why they can't keep a decent waterfowl collection on it any more is beyond me.
Might have a teeny tiny problem sourcing the hummers........
If they went with the same species as last time they wouldn't have much trouble - the issue is whether they would actually be interested in bringing hummingbird back into the collection, which I doubt.
I was t
However, like you, I can't imagine them bothering.
I was thinking of the old walkthrough Tropical House, which was well before the recent Blackburn renovation. There were loads of species in there, and Blue-backed Manakins bred.
However, like you, I can't imagine them bothering.
I think you must be referring to the former fountain (now filled in) that was once in Barclay Court close to the zoo's restaurant. I don't think it was sponsored by a bank though; David and Frederick Barclay donated the money for the Barclay Court development although I don't think they have any connection to Barclays Bank.
(At one time there was a marble elephant statue, donated by the departmental store Liberty's, in the centre of this fountain.)
That's the one. Glad it's gone. Silly thing to have in a zoo, when you could have, oh I don't know, some animals?
It would be interesting to know where the Aquarium ranks on the zoo exit surveys for visitors. Would it be missed by the general public? The many times I’ve visited it’s been nothing more than a meeting spot for rowdy/unruly school parties and visitors complaining about the absence of sharks.
One would think that, given the current plastics debate and ZSL’s Chagos links, it would be a prime candidate for renovation/reinterpretation. However, management have probably taken a look at the figures and decided the cheaper option would be to let it rot (which it has been for many years now).
I agree that management and the London authorities should be held to account with letting it come to this. Where would the collection go? Whipsnade can’t house it because its drainage infrastructure is archaic.
Maybe the aquarium and the Mappins should have been the first area to be renovated, but money talks.
One would think that, given the current plastics debate and ZSL’s Chagos links, it would be a prime candidate for renovation/reinterpretation. However, management have probably taken a look at the figures and decided the cheaper option would be to let it rot (which it has been for many years now).
I agree that management and the London authorities should be held to account with letting it come to this. Where would the collection go? Whipsnade can’t house it because its drainage infrastructure is archaic.
Maybe the aquarium and the Mappins should have been the first area to be renovated, but money talks.
sooty mangabey
Well-Known Member
Very possibly a failure on the behalf of the zoo management. But it’s nothing to do with the local authority, who, like all local authorities in the UK, are struggling to pay for the most basic services, thanks to the iniquitous way in which funds are mostly directed towards central rather than local government.