Given this plan so thoroughly ignores the current biogeographical zoning and gives near all recent developments such as 'Tiger Territory' and 'Land of the Lions' over to the bulldozer, seems more like a blue-sky speculative plan made up by the design firm rather than something more genuine proposed by ZSL themselves, but I wouldn't know. Interesting nonetheless!
A few things I notice from a somewhat cursory glance....
-Interesting [though not fully unexpected] that the Africa area is moving. I find interesting because it is a more recently revitalised area, I think about the 2000s it was. I do have somewhat fond memories of the Into Africa area as it currently is... one of these being a birthday trip to London Zoo [this area being particularly memorable somehow] followed by dining at the Rainforest Cafe, which I say was a restaurant where the atmosphere was very memorable but the food was non-descript. [There's now a Bavarian restaurant there] The other going around the rather unshaded area ill-prepared in the summer and succumbing to sunburn. At least having it at the other end of the zoo will be less susceptible to that.
What interests me is that the new 'African Savannah' area encompasses where the Asiatic lions and all of their very Indian theming are now. I guess they may move that to the other side but that'd be a lot to move... at least they'd still have tigers. Marwell hasn't had a lion since 2000 and is doing reasonably well still.
-Two hotels! From what I understand the trend of putting hotels in a zoo began on the continential Europe and eventually some zoos in the UK followed suit; to mind Yorkshire[?] and Port Lympne. Whipsnade has reindeer-adjacent lodges already... so I guess London incorporating a zoo-hotel is not too much of a surprise. Surprised the States hasn't caught on to this trend.
-The lack of Rainforest Life and Night Life ... this saddens me somewhat. I think Rainforest Life is done well as an exhibit and Night Life is done reasonably well as well. The species line-up is somewhat less inspiring than times before but I still like very much a good nocturnal house. Though saying that the 'other side' looks a bit less populated here... no sign of the otters or the bit where the dik-diks are now [and water deer and reindeer were before].
Overall good, some sadnesses but I will look forward to what comes of this.
@Tea_and_Biology I both hope and think that this is as you say not an official ZSL plan that will be followed through to a significant degree. Some aspects of it seem appealing and good enough ideas (this seems to detail the Mappins having a more suiting inhabitant), but it seems to detail a largish downsizing of the collection with the species not in the categories of 'African Savannah' 'African Forest' and 'Asian Forest' as well as a pretty major reduction of the land being used for the zoo (animals and visitors) itself- the land on the east side of both the South and North Banks being seeming permanently foregone from holding animals.
To be honest I'm not sure a layout with such solid sectioned geographical zones would work for a zoo with the profile that London currently has (like the one at Whipsnade does), where it is important to work around existing structures to be the most efficient. This is probably looking 10-15 years at least down the line anyway, but I think if this is something that is planned to go ahead it would take substantial success for me to be a fan of it after what London Zoo would lose- I'm sure many others will also feel this way.
As this plan would require tearing down pretty much all of the zoo's most recent and most expensive exhibits, I have to imagine it's some 'blue-sky thinking' from a developer and won't be happening.
