Europe's 100 must see exhibits

[StoppableSan]

I've always loved Zurich's elephant house. I really wish we would see an American zoo or even another European one create a naturalistic elephant house just like it. I'm of the belief that if indoor enclosures are on public view the same amount of effort should be put into aesthetics as the outdoor habitats, and this house nails it. I am a little confused about part of this design. Do guests have to backtrack to the exit from where the mouse deer and herps are?

The closest we have in the states is Omaha, and while their design is more practical, this development was part of a bigger, 28 acre one featuring... *inhales* giraffes, ostrich, an African kopje complete with meerkats/klipspringer/hyrax, white rhinos, pygmy goats, zebras, impala, a Safari Lodge, pink-backed pelicans, African lions, bongo, cheetahs and sable antelope.

 

[pachyderm pro]

The closest we have in the states is Omaha, and while their design is more practical, this development was part of a bigger, 28 acre one featuring... *inhales* giraffes, ostrich, an African kopje complete with meerkats/klipspringer/hyrax, white rhinos, pygmy goats, zebras, impala, a Safari Lodge, pink-backed pelicans, African lions, bongo, cheetahs and sable antelope.

I really like Omaha's elephant barn and it's definitely my favorite I've seen so far as evident in today's 'America's 50 Must See Zoos' post. It's not super different than what's been done at Atlanta, Wichita, Milwaukee, etc, it just does it the best and biggest. It's by no means naturalistic, although it didn't necessarily need to be considering how much stuff was part of the African Grasslands project. The renaissance of new elephant complexes in American zoos over the past decade has seem to hit a standstill for now so I'm not sure how many new elephant exhibits we will see going forward. I just hope one day we see a zoo with the ambition to truly reinvent the wheel with indoor elephant exhibits like Zurich has.

Another one in in Europe I really seem to like is Magdeburg. Not huge, but full of enrichment and aesthetically really nice, continuing the zoos use of greenhouse style indoor exhibits.

 

[Haasje]

29. Kaeng Krachan Elefantenpark
Zoo Zurich, Switzerland
Opened: 2014
Size: 11000 square metres
Inhabitants: Asian elephant, blackbuck, lesser mouse deer, Vietnamese leaf turtle, a few birds and invertebrates

@KevinB

Very cool to see some really architecture again. Thank you @lintworm for this amazing threat and the Light you shine on some special (lesser) known places. But, as you know me, i hope you wont forget some starchitecture that is still out there. Or other beautifully designed places. Also i wonder if and which gems from my home zoos Burgers and Blijdorp will still be featured.
Keep on this good work!

 

[Antoine]

27. Slender-tailed meerkats
Tiergarten Nürnberg, Germany
Opened: 2013
Size: 200 square metres
Inhabitants: Slender-tailed meerkat, yellow mongoose

Sorry for the delay in my answer @lintworm but if I like this exhibit there is two major issues with it : it does not run really well for the two species who shared the space (I know it from a keeper) and there is no real indoor house for cold weather (just something like a glass box so not suitable for a whole group).

Regarding Doué, if the house looks strange and awfull it fits very well for the mongooses with the three storey levels and plenty of items to hide and play.

 

[lintworm]

But, as you know me, i hope you wont forget some starchitecture that is still out there. Or other beautifully designed places.

There will be quite some of those to come, not all of them much-loved by all, but certainly interesting . There will be starchitecture from the very old to the modern age, so hopefully enough to keep you satisfied.

And anything cathedral-like coming out of Köln can’t be bad

Wasn't the roof inspired on the Dom or did I just make that up?

I know the outside area of Köln is barren as hell (and although I have not been to hell, I expect the comparison might actually be pretty accurate) and I hate it for it as the next ZooChatter. But let’s be honest, with the space most European zoos give their elephants, any outside space will either be barren, or reduced to it within a few months. The only thing Zurich seems to have going for it, is that at some points it allows foliage to creep up to the fence for the elephants to browse(if they actually let that happen). And it allows for greener sight-lines for the visitors…

Everything you give them access to will be reduced indeed, though there are some that manage to keep the grass alive, such as Zlin-Lesna, Boras and some N-American examples by offering huge amounts of space. It irks me that the surroundings in Cologne are mock-rock only, whereas many other zoos have at least tried to green it up, which creates a wholly different atmosphere.

 

[lintworm]

Sorry for the delay in my answer @lintworm but if I like this exhibit there is two major issues with it : it does not run really well for the two species who shared the space (I know it from a keeper) and there is no real indoor house for cold weather (just something like a glass box so not suitable for a whole group).

I did wonder about the meerkat - mongoose combination as in other zoos that indeed hasn't always been a success, but assumed based on my visits it was working fine at least, not least due to the enclosure size. Interesting about the indoor enclosure, I can't even remember seeing it... Certainly a downside, though meerkats seem to grow a winter coat in Europe and be fine as long as it is not too cold...

 

[Philipine eagle]

I know the outside area of Köln is barren as hell (and although I have not been to hell, I expect the comparison might actually be pretty accurate) and I hate it for it as the next ZooChatter. But let’s be honest, with the space most European zoos give their elephants, any outside space will either be barren, or reduced to it within a few months. The only thing Zurich seems to have going for it, is that at some points it allows foliage to creep up to the fence for the elephants to browse(if they actually let that happen). And it allows for greener sight-lines for the visitors…

Planckendael's Asian elephant exhibit is a lot greener on a ground that is no bigger than 1 ha. So it is possible as this picture from Tiger proves:
Elephant enclosure from above - ZooChat

The inside of Köln, well for me that's just a covered elephant parking lot.

 

[dublinlion]

hi lintworm, great thread and I would agree that most of your choices are very good.
Did you not consider Dublins Elephant complex as it is generally highly regarded and touted as one of the best in Europe with its large area and house and the long winding approach through a heavily planted jungle type path. My own opinion is that it could be massively improved by the addition of extra exhibits for asian birds or primates set in pockets along the entrance to add interest and hopefully the new management will address this imo shortcoming.
All of Dublins exhibits are very good without being exceptional and Fotas Asian section probably has the edge when it comes to eye pleasing exhibits.
Anyway keep it going as it makes for great reading and debate.

 

[lintworm]

hi lintworm, great thread and I would agree that most of your choices are very good.
Did you not consider Dublins Elephant complex as it is generally highly regarded and touted as one of the best in Europe with its large area and house and the long winding approach through a heavily planted jungle type path. My own opinion is that it could be massively improved by the addition of extra exhibits for asian birds or primates set in pockets along the entrance to add interest and hopefully the new management will address this imo shortcoming.
All of Dublins exhibits are very good without being exceptional and Fotas Asian section probably has the edge when it comes to eye pleasing exhibits.
Anyway keep it going as it makes for great reading and debate.

Thank you for your kind words. I agree with you that the elephant area (as most parts of Dublin Zoo) could be massively improved by adding side exhibits for smaller animals, but I have good hopes that the new management will be more into smaller species than the former... I did not really consider the elephant exhibit for this thread though, outdoors is spacious and fine, but not particularly remarkable in any way. Indoors is purely functional, which works fine for the animals, but with the limited viewing options did not work for me. The most remarkable is the degree to which plants are dominant around the exhibit, but it irked me that Gunnera tinctoria was dominant, even though this is one of Irelands biggest invasive species. I would have hoped a zoo would be more careful with that (though my home zoo has a big Fallopia japonica problem too...). The plants and landscaping were so dominant, that actual viewing options were way too limited for me... There are a number of more interesting elephant enclosures dotted around Europe, of which some will pop up later on.

 

[lintworm]

30. Mountain ungulate rocks
Zoo Madrid, Spain
Opened: 1972
Size: 1400 square metres (combined)
Inhabitants: Barbary sheep, Spanish ibex, European mouflon

Zoo Madrid is concrete lovers paradise, a whole new zoo was constructed in 1972, with concrete dominating most enclosures. The zoos therefore has not aged greatly, but for some animals the large concrete slabs are not even that different from their native habitat. For the mountain ungulates these highly stylized interpretations of mountains provide hard standing and climbing opportunities. That is not to say these are optimal habitats, lacking shade and (visual) separation options. Two of these ungulate exhibits remain, a hillside for barbary sheep and two mountain islands for Spanish ibex and mouflon. The latter are not islands anymore, their moats being replaced by sand greatly expanding the available space. In an age of naturalistic enclosures Madrid is one of the last examples where concrete reigns supreme and these mountain sculptures are a great way to appreciate how our ideas of showing animals have changed.

@Maguari

@Maguari

@Maguari

@Maguari

Similar exhibits: concrete dominated mountain ungulate paddocks are getting rarer, but another good example would be the one for Barbary sheep (and gelada) in Wilhelma, Stuttgart, Germany. The Alpine ibex enclosure in Artis, Amsterdam, the Netherlands and the Siberian ibex mountain in Zoo Berlin, Germany, are good examples of a romanticised early 20th century interpretation of mountains. The markhor and Alpine marmot paddock in Doue is a more modern interpretation of a mountain habitat. Some zoos have real rocks for their animals, but more on that later

Wilhelma:

@Swedish Zoo Fan

Artis:

@snowleopard

Zoo Berlin

@kiang

Doue:

@Antoine

 

[aardvark250]

30. Mountain ungulate rocks
Zoo Madrid, Spain
Opened: 1972
Size: 1400 square metres (combined)
Inhabitants: Barbary sheep, Spanish ibex, European mouflon

Zoo Madrid is concrete lovers paradise, a whole new zoo was constructed in 1972, with concrete dominating most enclosures. The zoos therefore has not aged greatly, but for some animals the large concrete slabs are not even that different from their native habitat. For the mountain ungulates these highly stylized interpretations of mountains provide hard standing and climbing opportunities. That is not to say these are optimal habitats, lacking shade and (visual) separation options. Two of these ungulate exhibits remain, a hillside for barbary sheep and two mountain islands for Spanish ibex and mouflon. The latter are not islands anymore, their moats being replaced by sand greatly expanding the available space. In an age of naturalistic enclosures Madrid is one of the last examples where concrete reigns supreme and these mountain sculptures are a great way to appreciate how our ideas of showing animals have changed.

@Maguari

@Maguari

@Maguari

@Maguari

Similar exhibits: concrete dominated mountain ungulate paddocks are getting rarer, but another good example would be the one for Barbary sheep (and gelada) in Wilhelma, Stuttgart, Germany. The Alpine ibex enclosure in Artis, Amsterdam, the Netherlands and the Siberian ibex mountain in Zoo Berlin, Germany, are good examples of a romanticised early 20th century interpretation of mountains. The markhor and Alpine marmot paddock in Doue is a more modern interpretation of a mountain habitat. Some zoos have real rocks for their animals, but more on that later

Wilhelma:

@Swedish Zoo Fan

Artis:

@snowleopard

Zoo Berlin

@kiang

Doue:

@Antoine

and we're back to concrete again! who would have thought

 

[GiratinaIsGod]

and we're back to concrete again! who would have thought

All hail our lord and savior concrete

 

[jwer]

Planckendael's Asian elephant exhibit is a lot greener on a ground that is no bigger than 1 ha. So it is possible as this picture from Tiger proves:
Elephant enclosure from above - ZooChat

The inside of Köln, well for me that's just a covered elephant parking lot.

Isn’t Plankendael one of those zoos that limit their elephants use of the outdoor space in order to keep it at least partly green? If I remember correctly, so does Beauval? Perhaps not, but I thought I read it somewhere…

30. Mountain ungulate rocks
Zoo Madrid, Spain
Opened: 1972
Size: 1400 square metres (combined)
Inhabitants: Barbary sheep, Spanish ibex, European mouflon

Zoo Madrid is concrete lovers paradise, a whole new zoo was constructed in 1972, with concrete dominating most enclosures. The zoos therefore has not aged greatly, but for some animals the large concrete slabs are not even that different from their native habitat. For the mountain ungulates these highly stylized interpretations of mountains provide hard standing and climbing opportunities. That is not to say these are optimal habitats, lacking shade and (visual) separation options. Two of these ungulate exhibits remain, a hillside for barbary sheep and two mountain islands for Spanish ibex and mouflon. The latter are not islands anymore, their moats being replaced by sand greatly expanding the available space. In an age of naturalistic enclosures Madrid is one of the last examples where concrete reigns supreme and these mountain sculptures are a great way to appreciate how our ideas of showing animals have changed.

@Maguari

@Maguari

@Maguari

@Maguari

You must have had teary eyes of joy when visiting Madrid and you forgot the Concrete’R’us sponsor tag

It won’t surprise you that these exhibits were not on my list. I have visited Madrid and the whole Zoo certainly is a relict of a certain era where stialyzed concrete must have been quite the craze with the two mentioned exhibits as pinnacles of concretian perfection. So if the aim of this thread is to showcase the full scope of European exhibitry over the decades, this is certainly a contender, even though I don’t count it as Europe’s finest hour.

Are you sure the ibex exhibit at Artis (and Berlin) is concrete? I thought it was more the Hagenbeckian chickenwire and false rock idea? You know, the stuff with holes in it that Burgers’ just got rid of. It’s also made to resemble real rocks, which the exhibits at Madrid clearly were not. So they represent imo a different era.

My first thought that came up was Artis’ macaque UFO thingy as another example of stialyzed concrete (which I thought was a monument, but I can’t find evidence of that online?). But seeing how this thread is developing, that thing might even show up later on. Oh dear.

I didn’t realize the exhibit at Doue resembles the old concrete that much, but it clearly does and the nod to days gone past is actually more clever then I thought.

Another Lintworm surprise then! I don’t know why I didn’t see this one coming, but I didn’t. Did bring a smile to my face though. Keep it up!

 

[snowleopard]

My first thought that came up was Artis’ macaque UFO thingy as another example of stialyzed concrete (which I thought was a monument, but I can’t find evidence of that online?). But seeing how this thread is developing, that thing might even show up later on. Oh dear.

The Japanese macaque 'spaceship' (or whatever it claims to be) in Amsterdam is certainly an eye-catching concrete exhibit. Here is my photo from 2019:

 

[StoppableSan]

The Japanese macaque 'spaceship' (or whatever it claims to be) in Amsterdam is certainly an eye-catching concrete exhibit. Here is my photo from 2019:

It looks like an Imperial base on Endor...

 

[lintworm]

Are you sure the ibex exhibit at Artis (and Berlin) is concrete? I thought it was more the Hagenbeckian chickenwire and false rock idea? You know, the stuff with holes in it that Burgers’ just got rid of. It’s also made to resemble real rocks, which the exhibits at Madrid clearly were not. So they represent imo a different era.

Would still fit in the category of concrete I guess, but that is beside the point, as I was using the similar exhibits this time to show how our architectural interpretation of a mountain habitat did change over the years.

My first thought that came up was Artis’ macaque UFO thingy as another example of stialyzed concrete (which I thought was a monument, but I can’t find evidence of that online?). But seeing how this thread is developing, that thing might even show up later on. Oh dear.

That functional monstrosity is not a monument and won't be part of this thread. Though I could devote a post on spaceships and alien invasions, where it could feature alongside the spidercar aviary of Veldhoven. Any other suggestions?

This was the final concrete-dominated structure from the 1970s and 1980s in the thread, there will be more exhibits from that era, but I guess those are palatable to more people as they were not selected because of the building material. This concrete phase was certainly not Europe's finest hour, but I find it fascinating, but ugly, nonetheless.

 

[jwer]

Thanks @snowleopard for picking up on my laziness and posting the pictures.

Would still fit in the category of concrete I guess, but that is beside the point, as I was using the similar exhibits this time to show how our architectural interpretation of a mountain habitat did change over the years.

Fair enough, if that was the idea behind it. From the top of my head, Wuppertal, Hamburg and i think Budapest have similar exhibits to Berlins one? That looks to be the most common idea.

That functional monstrosity is not a monument and won't be part of this thread. Though I could devote a post on spaceships and alien invasions, where it could feature alongside the spidercar aviary of Veldhoven. Any other suggestions?

Trying hard to remember some, but the craziest I’ve seen was a poison dart frog exhibit at Ouwehands where all the frogs were replaced by plastic ones! The frogs were probably abducted by the same aliens that came with Artis’ spaceship. I also remember exhibits with misplaced garden gnomes in them, but I can’t remember where… ah well, the variety in Europe is extensive.

This was the final concrete-dominated structure from the 1970s and 1980s in the thread, there will be more exhibits from that era, but I guess those are palatable to more people as they were not selected because of the building material. This concrete phase was certainly not Europe's finest hour, but I find it fascinating, but ugly, nonetheless.

Pah, the goal of the thread wasn’t to please everyone anyway. It’s to celebrate Europe’s diversity and you’re doing a helluva job! You do realise you’re only 30% done though right? This thread is going to be a beautiful monster!

 

[Antoine]

Not sure how the complex compares to any other exhibit when it comes to enrichment, but Beauval actually has a fairly green exhibit for its african elephants, along with trees in the background if I remember correctly, it's nice to look at.

The main paddock is green, the third too (the second is a sand paddock) but in winter the elephants are always indoor when it rains too much to prevent accident (the area is not flat at all) and keep the grass...the same for a lot of hoofstocks unfortunately.

 

[lintworm]

31. Gelada moat
Zoo Citadelle, Besancon, France
Opened: 2007 (?)
Size: 4400 square metres
Inhabitants: Gelada

There are very few zoos that are fully located within a world heritage site and transforming cultural heritage into a zoo enclosure with minimal adaptations is rather unique. By putting a bachelor group of gelada into the main castle moat of the, Besancon has done just that, the citadelle being part of the listed Vauban fortifications. It makes for a rather strange sight, but even though it might not be the perfect gelada habitat, it does work. The geladas do have a lot of horizontal space, but parts of the rock walls are also climbable, so vertical space is present too. It does however not look like the grassy mountain meadows where they originally occur, with quite some rubble on the ground. Being a moat, viewing is only possible from the access bridge or the fortification ramps. Maybe not the optimal animal exhibit, but certainly one of the most unique blends of (medieval) European culture and zoo exhibitry.

@lintworm

@lintworm

@lintworm


Similar exhibits: Tiergarten Schönbrunn, Vienna, Austria, is also wholly located in a world heritage site, but will get its own entries. Geladas and castles can be a good combination in a different setting, as Dudley Zoo, UK, shows. Europe’s best gelada exhibit is probably located in Zoo Zuerich, Switzerland.


Dudley Zoo:

@gulogulogulo


Zoo Zuerich, shared with Nubian ibex, rock hyrax and blue-winged goose:

@antonmuster

 

[jwer]

31. Gelada moat
Zoo Citadelle, Besancon, France
Opened: 2007 (?)
Size: 4400 square metres
Inhabitants: Gelada

There are very few zoos that are fully located within a world heritage site and transforming cultural heritage into a zoo enclosure with minimal adaptations is rather unique. By putting a bachelor group of gelada into the main castle moat of the, Besancon has done just that, the citadelle being part of the listed Vauban fortifications. It makes for a rather strange sight, but even though it might not be the perfect gelada habitat, it does work. The geladas do have a lot of horizontal space, but parts of the rock walls are also climbable, so vertical space is present too. It does however not look like the grassy mountain meadows where they originally occur, with quite some rubble on the ground. Being a moat, viewing is only possible from the access bridge or the fortification ramps. Maybe not the optimal animal exhibit, but certainly one of the most unique blends of (medieval) European culture and zoo exhibitry.

@lintworm

@lintworm

@lintworm


Similar exhibits: Tiergarten Schönbrunn, Vienna, Austria, is also wholly located in a world heritage site, but will get its own entries. Geladas and castles can be a good combination in a different setting, as Dudley Zoo, UK, shows. Europe’s best gelada exhibit is probably located in Zoo Zuerich, Switzerland.


Dudley Zoo:

@gulogulogulo


Zoo Zuerich, shared with Nubian ibex, rock hyrax and blue-winged goose:

@antonmuster

No comments! A truly remarkable “exhibit” that was never intended to be one, but now fills that role with a certain style. Also one of the first I scribbled down. Also like the alternatives. Didn’t know about Dudders, but aesthetically Zürich afaik trumps them all.