How big?
14/11/20 10:52 Filed in: Project design work | Zoo Design theory
Big is always relative. Elephants are big - but compared to whales, and trees and mountains. Not so big. So when I went to answer the question of how much bigger is the new elephant at Zoo Atlanta compared with the old one.
So I went to measuring. The zoo was given 7 acres total new area inside the fence. A lot of it fell inside the Cyclorama building and the Administration Building, but when you take into consideration just the areas devoted to the Elephant as compared before - you find that the Elephant's previously occupied 18K sf and now they occupy 138K - that's 7.5X larger. Or if you consider the overall effected site - it comes to over 260,000 - so more that half of the added area is devoted to Elephants.
I'm just so glad we gave them such a real estate parcel, at the most prime position adjacent to the park, parking lot on two sides and the entry to the zoo.
Transformational.
Big.
Huge!
This was a Big change for Zoo Atlanta and the City of Atlanta. The City was able to build a parking deck, in a city park, over an acre in area (sitting on 1/2 of the existing parking). and deliver a Green roof and restaurant on top of it - so in effect adding an acre of green space to the park.
Now the city is poised to collect revenue from a deck that is set in Grant Park for use for all the zoo visitors and other park goers.
What a Bonus!
Big.
We were planning on removing the old administration building (as the office space was included in the new Savanna Hall (Cyclorama), but the owner wasn't included in the original decision. When they were finally asked to sign a paper issuing a demo permit, they took an active interest. No signature de-railed plans for a wide open entry plaza! as well as having to keep the old Admin. building functional.
You got to ask! So the one area that we thought we'd also EXPAND Big was the entry plaza to the zoo. At this point, the zoo didn't demo the Admin building as was always the plan, now the entry plaza is 1/2 the size and located between the new Savanna Hall and the old building.
not so big.
actually a bit of a drag.
We forgot to ask.
I hope the zoo is appreciating the BIG changes to the property but with COVID world outside, they need to think differently. The elephants getting new space, the park getting new space has to be a big win for the zoo. COVID will not be forever. Or maybe it will. Do you make adjustments like Cleveland did. Turn the zoo into a drive-through safari! Maybe. Can Zoo Atlanta go that way? not - unless they hand out golf carts - go carts? drive through with small vehicles - one way loop. family sized. SMALL.
Maybe small is the new Big.
Morning musings from Belize - where nothing is Big, everything is Small.
I'm just so glad we gave them such a real estate parcel, at the most prime position adjacent to the park, parking lot on two sides and the entry to the zoo.
Transformational.
Big.
Huge!
This was a Big change for Zoo Atlanta and the City of Atlanta. The City was able to build a parking deck, in a city park, over an acre in area (sitting on 1/2 of the existing parking). and deliver a Green roof and restaurant on top of it - so in effect adding an acre of green space to the park.
Now the city is poised to collect revenue from a deck that is set in Grant Park for use for all the zoo visitors and other park goers.
What a Bonus!
Big.
We were planning on removing the old administration building (as the office space was included in the new Savanna Hall (Cyclorama), but the owner wasn't included in the original decision. When they were finally asked to sign a paper issuing a demo permit, they took an active interest. No signature de-railed plans for a wide open entry plaza! as well as having to keep the old Admin. building functional.
You got to ask! So the one area that we thought we'd also EXPAND Big was the entry plaza to the zoo. At this point, the zoo didn't demo the Admin building as was always the plan, now the entry plaza is 1/2 the size and located between the new Savanna Hall and the old building.
not so big.
actually a bit of a drag.
We forgot to ask.
I hope the zoo is appreciating the BIG changes to the property but with COVID world outside, they need to think differently. The elephants getting new space, the park getting new space has to be a big win for the zoo. COVID will not be forever. Or maybe it will. Do you make adjustments like Cleveland did. Turn the zoo into a drive-through safari! Maybe. Can Zoo Atlanta go that way? not - unless they hand out golf carts - go carts? drive through with small vehicles - one way loop. family sized. SMALL.
Maybe small is the new Big.
Morning musings from Belize - where nothing is Big, everything is Small.