Architects have been appointed for the proposed redevelopment of Helsinki Zoo, on Korkeasaari Island, in Finland.

The project is intended to improve the zoo's profile internationally and to develop the island as a centre for education and research concerning nature and conservation. The winning design, called Beluga, was created by French architect group Beckmann-N'Thepe and comprises new animal enclosures and viewing rooms, greenhouses, auditoriums, an outdoor theatre, a reception, offices, a shop, a research room and a restaurant.

As part of the re-landscaping of the zoo, designed by TN Plus Agency, there will be four, domed biozones across the site recreating climate conditions from the Central Asian Steppe, Arctic Pole, Asian Temperate Forest and Central Asian Mountain. The zoo will now draft a new masterplan for the 26.2-hectare project based on the design ideas put forward by the chosen architects.

Helsinki Zoo is owned by the Helsinki City Council and first opened to the public in 1889.