Dudley Zoological Gardens Dudley Zoo Tecton exhibits

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Django

Active Member
Was watching a TV program on modernist architecture the other day, and pictures of Dudley Zoo came on. A bit of searching found these articles on the net:

Risky Buildings
The Twentieth Century Society

While the exhibits look totally unsuitable, I'm interested to know which ones still hold animais, and how they look today. I'm particually interested to know what the "aviary" is like. From pictures I'd believe it as a reptile house or aquarium, but don't see how it could be an aviary.

Django
 
It was the bird house. I don't remember much about it but I think there were aviaries all around the sides and a centre on.

It is not in use, neither is the old entrance.

The restaurant is still used and the bear enclosure has guanaco I think.
 
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The old Polar Bear enclosure and adjacent big cat pits are also Tecton designed. I don't know what is in them now but they are supposed(?) to be rehousing the Orangutans & Chimpanzees in these.
 
Don't know if it's still true, but I'm sure one of the old enclosures, probably polar bear, went on to hold fishing cats.
 
I have a number of photos of these buidlings in my gallery from a visit in late 2006.

Tecton Tiger Enclosure has always (and still holds tigers).

Tecton Polar Bear Enclosure if off-exhibit area for Asiatic Black Bear.

Tecton Lion Enclosure now main area for Asiatic Black Bear.

Tecton Bear Ravine now holds Guanaco & Rhea but the viewing platform is closed (unsafe).

Tropical Bird House is unused.

Tecton Elephant House now holds lemurs.

There have been numerous plans for re-development of these areas over the years and the most recent (like all before now looking doubtful:rolleyes:) involved putting Orangs & Chimps in Tecton Tiger/ Polar Bear/ Lion complex and Lions into the 'Bear Ravine' with viewing windows around legs of bird house. The house iteself would then form a restaurant overlooking the lions.

As with London Zoo (and to a much lesser extent Whipsnade), the listed status prevents their demolition or much change to the structures and the costs of maintenance and rennovation are therefore high. Developments must be sympathetic to, and retain the architectural features of, the original constructions.
 
Thanks for that information everybody.

Looking at the pictures I'm reminded of Gerald Durrell's comment that the most dangerous animal in a zoo is an architect. On the other hand there is no doubt they are interesting architecturally. It is also interesting to contrast Chester and Dudley zoos, located not too far from each other, both starting in the depression era, one with a "silver spoon" in it's mouth, the other a product of struggle town, and where they are today.
 
My visit to Dudley 2/5/09

Hi all,

A long time I know but I will hopefully be posting a few more reports shortly.
I visited Dudley yesterday with my stepdaughter for her birthday. This is the first time I have ever visited. The closest I ever got previously was watching the BBC TV series One By One which was filmed here in the early 1980's.
The former aviary is now the living quarters for the asiatic lions. I am nonplussed as to how it was originally an aviary but never mind.
The polar bear pit is now not used at all. There are gates for keepers and badly maintained hoardings. I climbed up to look in and although there was evidence that it had been used for asiatic bears but no longer (huge chunks of concrete coming off walls).
The elevated viewing platform over the former bear pits is in a shocking state. One of the kiosks (the one closest to the main gate) is now used for a discovery centre.
Finally, the elephant house is having some work done to it and at present is housing lemurs and jumping rats. Quite a shame for a huge impressive building.
I can't help but feel sad that these monuments are slowly crumbling away and being replaced by containers.
On a good note, the chairlift is going to be renovated and reopened.

Paul
 
Maybe they're just waiting for them to collapse? It would probably make their lives a lot easier.
 
Corrections

Sorry about this, I'm a regular at Dudley. ^.^

The tecton buildings include: The zoo main entrance, the three enclosures -current bear and tiger and the old polar bear enclosure, Monkey Tail/chimp house,the little kiosks scattered across the zoo, not sure about if the pools in the sealion/penguin are tecton, (but same style), the old bear pit, the dinosaur dig above the lions!

plus to correct you Paul Scott, the den was custom built which is not the old tecton building above it, simple there is no doors in that building which could hold the lions and its listed, the den is in the bottom right-hand corner it has 4 sections, which currently holds Gir and Hitara, and hopefully a new younger female.
 
EvilKittie said:
Sorry about this, I'm a regular at Dudley. ^.^

The tecton buildings include: The zoo main entrance, the three enclosures -current bear and tiger and the old polar bear enclosure, Monkey Tail/chimp house,the little kiosks scattered across the zoo, not sure about if the pools in the sealion/penguin are tecton, (but same style), the old bear pit, the dinosaur dig above the lions!

plus to correct you Paul Scott, the den was custom built which is not the old tecton building above it, simple there is no doors in that building which could hold the lions and its listed, the den is in the bottom right-hand corner it has 4 sections, which currently holds Gir and Hitara, and hopefully a new younger female.
Click to expand...
You`ve missed off the paddock enclosure that you pass on the left as you are going down to the chimps which is also part of the Tecton legacy at Dudley.
 
zoogiraffe said:
You`ve missed off the paddock enclosure that you pass on the left as you are going down to the chimps which is also part of the Tecton legacy at Dudley.
Click to expand...

Duh. Silly me. One question is the old groggy building near the old bear ravine (covered in ivy) is that tecton?
 
Whoops!!!

Sorry for that. When I went there was a lot of renovation/building work going on next to the lion enclosure at the top close to the lemur walkthrough so I couldn't see the den properly and assumed they were using the old aviary. My mistake!
Did they used to use the Monkey Tails building as the tropical house?
I don't suppose you have any old photos of the zoo with the exhibits in all their glory?

Paul
 
EvilKittie said:
Sorry about this, I'm a regular at Dudley. ^.^

The tecton buildings include: The zoo main entrance, the three enclosures -current bear and tiger and the old polar bear enclosure, Monkey Tail/chimp house,the little kiosks scattered across the zoo, not sure about if the pools in the sealion/penguin are tecton, (but same style), the old bear pit, the dinosaur dig above the lions!
Click to expand...

Actually there are twelve pieces of Tecton architecture at Dudley which include: Reptilarium (now for meerkats), Polar bear/tiger/lion pits, Bear Ravine, elephant house, entrance, kiosk at Bear Ravine, kiosk at Polar Bear pit, Sea Lion Pools, Bird House, Pelican Bar (now the education centre) and the Catsle Restaurant. Lubetkin's Penguin pool was demolished some years ago.

The Geochron building now Monkey tails/chimp house is not Tecton. It was constructed much later.

Not sure what what you mean by "the dinosaur dig above the lions"?
 
I know this may seem a bit silly to some people but doesn't Dudley have the Black Country Museum very close by.
Just a thought as this museum is there to keep a track of the past how about moving the tecton building to this site and that way they can be looked after for many years to come .
Then the zoo can get on with adding more animals to it's collection and having better enclosures for all the animals.
Think of all the ground this would release to be able to adapt to enclosures as nearly 30% of the zoo at the moment seems to be under this unwanted tag of listed
And please don't come on here and say that the buildings can't be moved because of the state they're in, if they are that bad then surely the health and safety would have had them removed because the general public are at risk as many of the buildings are still very close to many of the walk ways.
 
I am going to Dudley at the beginning of October mainly to see the Tecton buildings! and secondly the animals, shame they aren't an asset to the zoo instead of a hinderance !
 
Yes Dudley does have the Black Country Museum near by but you are missing the point of this Museum its there to preserve the Black Country`s Industrial past not to be a dumping ground for un-wanted Tecton Buildings at Dudley Zoo
 
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