Europe's 100 must see exhibits

99. Living Links
Zoo Edinburgh, UK
Opened: 2008
Size: 2700 square metres
Inhabitants: Tufted capuchin, common squirrel monkey, primatologists

Of the four key roles modern zoos have set for themselves, the role of research is the one most forgotten. That is a pity as a well-designed zoo enclosure offers a lot of options for scientists the wild is lacking. With easy access to the animals and plenty of options to separate individuals, but also for the primates to go their own way, the Living Links centre was designed to benefit both researchers and primates. Living Links in Edinburgh is a partnership between the zoo and the St. Andrews university and a range of other universities. It is in partnership with the Living Links centre at Emory University in Georgia, USA, which is led by the world-famous Frans de Waal, who started as a PhD doing research in a zoo too. The goal is to study the primates, not only to understand them better, but also to understand human evolution better, as primates are our closest “living links”. The chimpanzees in the Budongo forest exhibit in Edinburgh are also part of this partnership. The capuchin monkeys and squirrel monkeys live together in two spacious and well-structured outdoor enclosures. In the spacious building, actually two connected ones, there are multiple indoor enclosures as well as rooms for the researchers to interact with the monkeys and give them tasks. The choice for housing squirrel monkeys and capuchin monkeys together was that they also form mixed-species groups in the wild, but are quite different in other aspects of behaviour. This makes them excellent research objects in such a setting, but it is also an attractive display for regular visitors.

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@felis silvestris

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@Maguari

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@felis silvestris

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@felis silvestris

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@felis silvestris

Similar exhibits: There is nothing else on this scale as far as I am aware, even though plenty of zoos do some work together with universities or research institutes. One of the more visible collaborations is between the Max Planck Institute and Zoo Leipzig, Germany, in Pongoland, their great ape facility. This building has some rooms specifically for research, which are sometimes also visible for visitors.
 
lintworm said:
99. Living Links
Zoo Edinburgh, UK
Opened: 2008
Size: 2700 square metres
Inhabitants: Tufted capuchin, common squirrel monkey, primatologists

Of the four key roles modern zoos have set for themselves, the role of research is the one most forgotten. That is a pity as a well-designed zoo enclosure offers a lot of options for scientists the wild is lacking. With easy access to the animals and plenty of options to separate individuals, but also for the primates to go their own way, the Living Links centre was designed to benefit both researchers and primates. Living Links in Edinburgh is a partnership between the zoo and the St. Andrews university and a range of other universities. It is in partnership with the Living Links centre at Emory University in Georgia, USA, which is led by the world-famous Frans de Waal, who started as a PhD doing research in a zoo too. The goal is to study the primates, not only to understand them better, but also to understand human evolution better, as primates are our closest “living links”. The chimpanzees in the Budongo forest exhibit in Edinburgh are also part of this partnership. The capuchin monkeys and squirrel monkeys live together in two spacious and well-structured outdoor enclosures. In the spacious building, actually two connected ones, there are multiple indoor enclosures as well as rooms for the researchers to interact with the monkeys and give them tasks. The choice for housing squirrel monkeys and capuchin monkeys together was that they also form mixed-species groups in the wild, but are quite different in other aspects of behaviour. This makes them excellent research objects in such a setting, but it is also an attractive display for regular visitors.

full

@felis silvestris

full

@Maguari

full

@felis silvestris

full

@felis silvestris

full

@felis silvestris

Similar exhibits: There is nothing else on this scale as far as I am aware, even though plenty of zoos do some work together with universities or research institutes. One of the more visible collaborations is between the Max Planck Institute and Zoo Leipzig, Germany, in Pongoland, their great ape facility. This building has some rooms specifically for research, which are sometimes also visible for visitors.
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I had a gut feeling this was going to be the "community choice" pick. Deservingly so, as this is all very neat. Even in the rest of the western world I can't think of any other exhibits that also act as dedicated research centers, at least not to this extent. Of course there are many dedicated primate centers outside of zoos that are likely similar.

All good things must come to an end, and I'm looking forward to seeing what you've saved for last. :)
 
lintworm said:
98. Bird house
Tiergarten Schönbrunn, Vienna, Austria
Opened: 1998 (original building from 1752)
Size: 560 square metres
Inhabitants: A wide variety of smaller S-American and African bird species, two-toed sloths and some amphibians.

The small bird house in Vienna would be easy to overlook, as the outside doesn’t reveal much of the brilliant little exhibit inside. This building has long been used to house small bird species, but it has now been transformed from cage dominated to a landscape approach. The two main rooms are now walkthroughs, each with a newly attached small greenhouse, highlighting two biomes: the African savannah and the South American rainforest. The middle section is still old-school and has two amphibian enclosures and sloths above. While the choice of biome might be somewhat standard, the landscaping and species selection is anything but. With an effective combination of copious vegetation and some rockwork two attractive enclosures have been created that let the birds shine. With white-fronted bee-eater and white-fronted amazon as the largest birds in the house, most attention goes to attractive small passerine species, a group often overlooked in zoos. From bananaquit and grey-headed oliveback to a breeding group of blue-backed manakins there are small birds everywhere. It does take some time to locate all species, as there is plenty of privacy, but not so much finding birds is too hard. Transforming 270 year old buildings into attractive exhibits that do not seem to age is the main strength of Tiergarten Schönbrunn, but this building really is a gem even by Viennese standards.

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@Arizona Docent

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@lintworm

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@lintworm

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@lintworm

Similar exhibits: Many city zoos have transformed their old bird houses into walkthroughs or at least into the modern age, but none have been as successful as in Vienna. The renovated monkey and bird house in Artis, Amsterdam, the Netherlands, is a good attempt, but is not as lovely. Other interesting renovations have recently been performed in Zoo Antwerp, Belgium, Zoo Wroclaw, Poland and somewhat earlier in ZSL London, UK, though not all equally successful. The renovated bird house that will reopen next year in Zoo Basel, Switzerland holds a lot of promise in its design, but we will have to wait a little bit to see whether that promise is fulfilled.

Artis
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@JamesB
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@Bosjesman

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@snowleopard

Zoo Antwerp
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@KevinB

Zoo Wroclaw
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@twilighter

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ZSL London Zoo
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@amur leopard
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What I also appreciate about this design is its integration. Looking through further photos on the gallery, it seems to be well-designed in that it is integrated into its surroundings. It manages to blend both architectural decoration, natural decoration and animal management that allows it to maintain some historical elements (I am assuming this is a historical building based on the architecture, if it isn't then that is some great designing!) as well as providing good habitats for the inhabitants.
 
pachyderm pro said:
I had a gut feeling this was going to be the "community choice" pick. Deservingly so, as this is all very neat. Even in the rest of the western world I can't think of any other exhibits that also act as dedicated research centers, at least not to this extent. Of course there are many dedicated primate centers outside of zoos that are likely similar.

All good things must come to an end, and I'm looking forward to seeing what you've saved for last. :)
Click to expand...

There were some interesting options to choose from, but this seemed the natural choice, thank you @TeaLovingDave for bringing it to my attention. I had heard of it, but it wasn't really on my radar.

I hope that @jwer is going to be ready for the last one, it will be a cracker :cool:

OstrichMania said:
What I also appreciate about this design is its integration. Looking through further photos on the gallery, it seems to be well-designed in that it is integrated into its surroundings. It manages to blend both architectural decoration, natural decoration and animal management that allows it to maintain some historical elements (I am assuming this is a historical building based on the architecture, if it isn't then that is some great designing!) as well as providing good habitats for the inhabitants.
Click to expand...

This is an original building from 1752 and it is easily one of my personal favourite zoo exhibits on the continent. The blend between history, modern husbandry, on point theming and an interesting collection is exceptionally strong. There are only few similarly sized buildings that come even close to this excellence in my opinion, though both Basel's Etosha house and Nurnberg's Desert house do an amazing job too.

Rayane said:
Hope you're going to follow up this thread with another one, reading it has become part of my routine
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Unfortunately for you, but fortunately for me there is no follow up planned. This stuff takes a lot of planning and writing and there are other pet projects that demand attention.
 
lintworm said:
99. Living Links
Zoo Edinburgh, UK
Opened: 2008
Size: 2700 square metres
Inhabitants: Tufted capuchin, common squirrel monkey, primatologists

Of the four key roles modern zoos have set for themselves, the role of research is the one most forgotten. That is a pity as a well-designed zoo enclosure offers a lot of options for scientists the wild is lacking. With easy access to the animals and plenty of options to separate individuals, but also for the primates to go their own way, the Living Links centre was designed to benefit both researchers and primates. Living Links in Edinburgh is a partnership between the zoo and the St. Andrews university and a range of other universities. It is in partnership with the Living Links centre at Emory University in Georgia, USA, which is led by the world-famous Frans de Waal, who started as a PhD doing research in a zoo too. The goal is to study the primates, not only to understand them better, but also to understand human evolution better, as primates are our closest “living links”. The chimpanzees in the Budongo forest exhibit in Edinburgh are also part of this partnership. The capuchin monkeys and squirrel monkeys live together in two spacious and well-structured outdoor enclosures. In the spacious building, actually two connected ones, there are multiple indoor enclosures as well as rooms for the researchers to interact with the monkeys and give them tasks. The choice for housing squirrel monkeys and capuchin monkeys together was that they also form mixed-species groups in the wild, but are quite different in other aspects of behaviour. This makes them excellent research objects in such a setting, but it is also an attractive display for regular visitors.

full

@felis silvestris

full

@Maguari

full

@felis silvestris

full

@felis silvestris

full

@felis silvestris

Similar exhibits: There is nothing else on this scale as far as I am aware, even though plenty of zoos do some work together with universities or research institutes. One of the more visible collaborations is between the Max Planck Institute and Zoo Leipzig, Germany, in Pongoland, their great ape facility. This building has some rooms specifically for research, which are sometimes also visible for visitors.
Click to expand...

Unfortunately I think the zoo hasn’t actually used their research facility in a while.
 
lintworm said:
This is an original building from 1752 and it is easily one of my personal favourite zoo exhibits on the continent. The blend between history, modern husbandry, on point theming and an interesting collection is exceptionally strong. There are only few similarly sized buildings that come even close to this excellence in my opinion, though both Basel's Etosha house and Nurnberg's Desert house do an amazing job too.
Click to expand...
Do you happen to know much about the history of the place? Has it always been a bird house or was it renovated later on?
 
pachyderm pro said:
All good things must come to an end, and I'm looking forward to seeing what you've saved for last. :)
Click to expand...

On the other hand, I am also somewhat curious about what some people here are expecting to be featured last. There are quite some interesting possible choices ;)

TeaLovingDave said:
You'd be wrong there - the facility published six papers in 2021 alone.
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Of which not all 6 actually involve capuchin monkeys, but multiple do. On another note it often takes years to go from data collection to actually publishing. So in theory the building could not have been used for research purposes, but papers still being published. But I don't know the current situation, though I can imagine COVID precautions have not made this type of research easier.

OstrichMania said:
Do you happen to know much about the history of the place? Has it always been a bird house or was it renovated later on?
Click to expand...

There is a history section on their website, which should yield a readable history with google translate:
Geschichte des Vogelhauses – Tiergarten Schönbrunn
 
100. Great rock
Parc Zoologique de Paris, France
Opened: 1934
Size: 9000 square metres
Inhabitants: European ectotherms, slime mould, European otter, Guinea baboon, European birds of prey and African bird species

There are few zoo constructions that are as easily recognizable and as synonymous with a specific zoo as this concrete structure. With a height of 65 metres it is also the tallest zoo structure that I am aware of. The whole Zoo de Vincennes was built on this location as a temporary zoo during the French colonial exhibition in 1931 was such a success. In the craze of its era the whole zoo was inspired by Hagenbeck, with plenty of concrete and moats and a lack of old-fashioned cages. The great rock was the pinnacle of the zoo and until 1982 visitors could take an elevator to the top for amazing views. The construction was only built for a lifetime of 50 years, so after years of disrepair ascensions were stopped. After multiple renovations this rock is now shining as before and within a few years visitors should be able to get to the top once more. The rock itself dominates parts of the zoo and is the unique background for the giraffes and other animals. Around the rock multiple enclosures have been constructed during the complete rebuild of the zoo in 2014. While modern all of these enclosures still have the characteristic Hagenbeck look and are dominated by the grey colossus. Most of the new zoo is a masterpiece from an architectural point of view, but that cannot be said of the African aviary attached to the rock, which feels overly artificial, the other enclosures surrounding are more successful, even though there are no mountain ungulates on the rock anymore. The structure itself is basically a glorified water tower as it harbours two large water basins, with a combined volume of over 2 million litres, that supply water for the whole zoo. For visitors the small but tastefully designed terrarium with European reptiles, amphibians and other ectotherms is the attraction in the interior. A highlight is the blob, a slime mould, on exhibit; this might well be the only zoo where such an organism is on display.

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@Therabu

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@Tomek

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@ralph

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@Dianamonkey

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@Arizona Docent

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@vogelcommando

Similar exhibits: There is one other city zoo in Europe that features artificial rocks prominently, Zoo Budapest, Hungary. Here there are even two, of which the taller is surrounded by enclosures and where the inside is filled with aquaria, a natural history exhibition and some terraria and insect tanks. While extensively renovated, it doesn’t quite have the grandeur of Paris and enclosure quality is markedly lower.

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@HungarionBison

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@lintworm

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@lintworm
 
That’s a wrap. But while the list is finished, the thread is not quite done yet. There are still a few things to follow, including an index, some summary statistics, a list with near-misses and some thoughts on what makes an exhibit “must-see”. This will all follow in due course, but might take some more time than the profiles.

The list of 100 exhibits comes from 69 different zoos from 16 countries. The country with most represented exhibits is Germany with 29 exhibits from 18 zoos. 12 exhibits come from 10 French zoos and the country in third place is the United Kingdom with 11 exhibits from 9 different zoos. The Netherlands follows with 10 exhibits from 5 zoos. Other countries with five or more entries are Switzerland (7), Austria (6) and Belgium (5). Poland, Hungary and Portugal are represented only by a single exhibit, while no exhibits were selected from Ireland, Italy, the Baltic states, Greece, and most of Eastern Europe.

There is one zoo with 5 exhibits on the list: Burgers’ Zoo, followed by two zoos with four exhibits: Zoo Berlin and Zoo Zurich. 6 zoos are represented by 3 exhibits: Tiergarten Schonbrunn, Pairi Daiza, Tiergarten Nürnberg, Tierpark Berlin, Zoo Prague and Chester Zoo. A further 9 zoos are represented by 2 exhibits: Zoo Basel, Zoo Antwerp, Bioparc Zoo Doue-la-Fontaine, Reserve Africaine de Sigean, Apenheul, Tierpark Hagenbeck, Koelner Zoo, Zoo Leipzig and Zoo Frankfurt. This means that nearly half the list, 49 exhibits, comes from only 18 different zoos. Of the 69 zoos, 38 were also part of the Europe's 50 must see zoos thread, so 12 must see zoos missed out on having a must see exhibit.

Stay tuned for more and thank you for joining me on this journey across the continent.
 
lintworm said:
That’s a wrap. But while the list is finished, the thread is not quite done yet. There are still a few things to follow, including an index, some summary statistics, a list with near-misses and some thoughts on what makes an exhibit “must-see”. This will all follow in due course, but might take some more time than the profiles.

The list of 100 exhibits comes from 69 different zoos from 16 countries. The country with most represented exhibits is Germany with 29 exhibits from 18 zoos. 12 exhibits come from 10 French zoos and the country in third place is the United Kingdom with 11 exhibits from 9 different zoos. The Netherlands follows with 10 exhibits from 5 zoos. Other countries with five or more entries are Switzerland (7), Austria (6) and Belgium (5). Poland, Hungary and Portugal are represented only by a single exhibit, while no exhibits were selected from Ireland, Italy, the Baltic states, Greece, and most of Eastern Europe.

There is one zoo with 5 exhibits on the list: Burgers’ Zoo, followed by two zoos with four exhibits: Zoo Berlin and Zoo Zurich. 6 zoos are represented by 3 exhibits: Tiergarten Schonbrunn, Pairi Daiza, Tiergarten Nürnberg, Tierpark Berlin, Zoo Prague and Chester Zoo. A further 9 zoos are represented by 2 exhibits: Zoo Basel, Zoo Antwerp, Bioparc Zoo Doue-la-Fontaine, Reserve Africaine de Sigean, Apenheul, Tierpark Hagenbeck, Koelner Zoo, Zoo Leipzig and Zoo Frankfurt. This means that nearly half the list, 49 exhibits, comes from only 18 different zoos. Of the 69 zoos, 38 were also part of the Europe's 50 must see zoos thread, so 12 must see zoos missed out on having a must see exhibit.

Stay tuned for more and thank you for joining me on this journey across the continent.
Click to expand...

Heh heh 69. :D

Genuinely speaking, this prolific thread was a fantastic read! You've truly provided a lot of insight and passion into some truly remarkable and even trailblazing zoo exhibits throughout Europe, and it's interesting to see the parallels between European and American zoos designwise!
 
lintworm said:
100. Great rock
Parc Zoologique de Paris, France
Opened: 1934
Size: 9000 square metres
Inhabitants: European ectotherms, slime mould, European otter, Guinea baboon, European birds of prey and African bird species

There are few zoo constructions that are as easily recognizable and as synonymous with a specific zoo as this concrete structure. With a height of 65 metres it is also the tallest zoo structure that I am aware of. The whole Zoo de Vincennes was built on this location as a temporary zoo during the French colonial exhibition in 1931 was such a success. In the craze of its era the whole zoo was inspired by Hagenbeck, with plenty of concrete and moats and a lack of old-fashioned cages. The great rock was the pinnacle of the zoo and until 1982 visitors could take an elevator to the top for amazing views. The construction was only built for a lifetime of 50 years, so after years of disrepair ascensions were stopped. After multiple renovations this rock is now shining as before and within a few years visitors should be able to get to the top once more. The rock itself dominates parts of the zoo and is the unique background for the giraffes and other animals. Around the rock multiple enclosures have been constructed during the complete rebuild of the zoo in 2014. While modern all of these enclosures still have the characteristic Hagenbeck look and are dominated by the grey colossus. Most of the new zoo is a masterpiece from an architectural point of view, but that cannot be said of the African aviary attached to the rock, which feels overly artificial, the other enclosures surrounding are more successful, even though there are no mountain ungulates on the rock anymore. The structure itself is basically a glorified water tower as it harbours two large water basins, with a combined volume of over 2 million litres, that supply water for the whole zoo. For visitors the small but tastefully designed terrarium with European reptiles, amphibians and other ectotherms is the attraction in the interior. A highlight is the blob, a slime mould, on exhibit; this might well be the only zoo where such an organism is on display.

full

@Therabu

full

@Tomek

full

@ralph

full

@Dianamonkey

full

@Arizona Docent

full

@vogelcommando

Similar exhibits: There is one other city zoo in Europe that features artificial rocks prominently, Zoo Budapest, Hungary. Here there are even two, of which the taller is surrounded by enclosures and where the inside is filled with aquaria, a natural history exhibition and some terraria and insect tanks. While extensively renovated, it doesn’t quite have the grandeur of Paris and enclosure quality is markedly lower.

full

@HungarionBison

full

@lintworm

full

@lintworm
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One of the few exhibits I’ve visited outside britain!
 
Thanks for this great thread. I haven't had much to contribute because it's been more than a decade since I was in Europe but this has been one of my main reasons for logging into Zoochat lately.
 
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