My thoughts on YWP are covered in this thread, here. This camel barn seems to be the very nadir of thoughtful, attractive zoo architecture. I certainly wouldn't suggest that the zoo should be attempting to evoke the Mongolian desert through the design of the camel house, but something that looked a bit more attractive would be nice!
Quite honestly, in terms of aesthetic design, this brand-new camel barn is downright atrocious! It is something that can be viewed at basically any farm in the western world and to think that it is showcased in a major zoological garden is something that is completely bizarre. I'd understand if the structure was off-show but the building is in a rather prominent location and is simply terrible viewing even from a couple of photos.
@snowleopard: Is it really atrocious? Agrarian: absolutely. Utilitarian: undoubtedly. But I think it's more bland than ugly, and I wouldn't say it draws enough attention to itself to be described as "atrocious".
If you are going to do immersive exhibit you have to do it right and have the budget for it. This may be a cheap option but its so hard to get it right its arguable not worth it.
Chester Monsoon rainforest building a prime example, it should have been twice the size to be effective imo.
@Giant Panda My word choice of "atrocious" does come across as a little harsh, doesn't it? Agrarian and utilitarian are much better options. Thanks!
@taun Is this even "an old debate"? I don't think there is much to debate because would anyone truly defend this utilitarian contraption? It looks worse than most sheds for cows. I'm not asking for an immersive camel exhibit but I am asking that a prominent, modern zoo come up with something...ANYTHING...in comparison to what is in this photo. There are plenty of tastefully designed hoofstock shelters in the ZooChat gallery that don't necessarily have to be yurts or Mongolian tents, or have thatched rooftops, etc. At least the giant green box isn't bright purple because then it would really stand out...
This isn't really a photo which shows the shed in all its glory: I had my big lens on my camera, and it was drizzling, so I didn't want to change - had I done so, the really unattractive field in which this shed has been plonked would be revealed, as would the rather agricultural view to be had beyond.
Like @taun, I'm deeply dubious about the whole immersive thing, and like @snowleopard I certainly wouldn't advocate that the YWP should have attempted to build a South Yorkshire Yurt. That said, I do think that greater attention to landscape architecture would be welcome here. The design of the exhibit as a whole is such that the shed really does stand out like the proverbial sore thumb - although whether this is a permanent state of affairs, I do not know.
We have to bear in mind the collection, YWP is relatively new and well has really shown what can be done at a zoo that has the right management in charge, its outstanding.
More established collections maybe should be achieving higher standards.
It may be ugly but its practicable, which at the end of the day is the foremost important part of any animal enclosure. But hey how lets spend silly money on stuff, just to make it prettier.
@taun I agree with you - to a point! One of the reasons why I really don't appreciate Islands, Land of the Lions etc is because money (and space, and focus) has been wasted on things that have got nothing to do with presenting animals. However, I do think things can be simple, functional - and attractive. As examples in the U.K., I'd offer the Gelada exhibit at Wild Place, much of the Cotswolds WP, and, most pertinently, the best bits of the Yorkshire Wildlife Park itself. I just don't think this camel house and paddock add a great deal to anything.....
@sooty mangabey: I wouldn't describe Wild Place's gelada exhibit as simple/functional. It is, after all, surrounded by what you memorably termed "extraneous tat". Personally, I appreciate this effort, but that doesn't mean I think the above exhibit is bad. I would have thought you'd be the first to point out zoos are about animals, after all
So yes, @snowleopard, I'll defend this exhibit, although I too haven't seen it in person. I'd rather it were more attractive than it is, but I'd also rather a fledgling wildlife park displayed a hardy crowd-pleaser than not. As far as I can tell, no-one is arguing that this exhibit fails to meet the needs of either animals or visitors. In which case, average? Yes. Bad? Sorry, still no.
@Giant Panda Yes, there is a bit of extraneous tat surrounding Wild Place's Geladas - but it's relatively restrained, and doesn't interfere with the actual enclosure which I believe to be pretty functional but also pretty attractive.
