Avanton, a London-based property developer, has announced potential plans to create an alligator farm and enclosure inside a Grade II-listed Victorian gasholder on the city's Old Kent Road. The enclosure would form the centrepiece of a housing and office development worth a reported £230m (US$300m, €270m). The structure's tanks would be converted to become a habitat, while part of the 160ft (49m) iron frame would be glazed to create a

Minnesota Zoo is raising money to create a treetop walkway on an old monorail track and to repurpose a former IMAX theatre for use as an adventure hub. The plans are part of a capital investment request and – the Minneapolis-based Star Tribune newspaper reports – have been developed as an alternative to acquiring new or exotic animal exhibits as a means to attract visitors. The $11m (€9.9m, £8.4m), 1.3mi

Bjarke Ingels Group (BIG) have released images of Copenhagen Zoo's giant pandas settling into its completed yin-yang-shaped enclosure. Construction of the Panda House began in 2017 and earlier this year it became home to Mao Sun and Xing Er, who are being loaned from China to Denmark. BIG designed the 2,450sq m (26,400sq ft) enclosure with the wellbeing of the pandas and with the potential for their mating in mind.

South Australia's Monarto Zoo says it will become the world's largest safari experience outside of Africa, through a A$40m (US$27.1m, €24.66m, £21.8m) development that has been approved by the regional government. The project, led by architects Intro, includes the provision of a luxury resort and eco-glamping facilities, a new visitor centre, restaurant, conference facilities and a range of new wild safari experiences in an area to be called Wild Africa,

Chester Zoo has announced it will build “an extensive African savannah”, designed by Gillespies in partnership with Darling Associates and BDP. The Grasslands scheme will incorporate a restaurant with views across the savannah and overnight accommodation in the form of 28 lodges and 14 safari-style tents. It will be home to multiple rare and endangered species including zebras, giraffes, antelopes and ostriches. The scheme is aimed in part at helping

New Zealand's Auckland Zoo has revealed a timetable for opening each part of its new South East Asia Jungle Track project ‒ a NZ$58m (US$39m, €34.6m, £31m) investment that's part of the zoo's wider 10-year, NZ$150m (US$100.9m, €89.5m, £80.4m) evolution programme, funded by Auckland Council. The zoo has worked with Studio Hansen Roberts on the design of the South East Asia Jungle Track, with NZ Strong (builders), Jacobs Engineering and

Austrian practice Pumar Architekten have won an international competition to create a new aquarium at Vienna’s Tiergarten Schönbrunn – the world’s oldest zoo. According to the architects, the new facility will feature a below-ground visitor’s centre with a path leading through a mangrove garden to a large shark tank. The aquarium’s exterior facilities – set to be created by local studio dieLandschaftsplaner – will be shaped to simulate Alpine scenery,

Officials at the San Antonio Zoo are expanding the 104-year-old visitor attraction, unveiling a US$200m (€172m, £154.3m) masterplan for the historic site. The zoo in Texas, US, has had its development plan for the next 20 years laid out by its leaders, starting with a new US$1m (€860,000, £772,000) rhino habitat, which broke ground last month. “We have been working on our master plan for over a well year now

British architecture studio SimpsonHaugh have completed a renovation of one of Belgium’s most important cultural landmarks, the Queen Elisabeth Hall in Antwerp. The concert venue had its soft launch over a year ago – and has since picked up a nomination for Cultural Building of the Year – but has only just officially opened. It is located within the Elisabeth Centre, a 19th-century Art Nouveau cultural complex that includes Antwerp

Plans to develop a second zoo in Sydney, Australia, have been given the go-ahead after local government officials granted planning permission to the AU$36m (US$28.8m, €24m, £21.3m) “cage free” project in Bungarribee. First touted in September 2015, the proposal for the Western Sydney Parklands – masterplanned by Australian design firm Misho + Associates (M+A) in conjunction with landscape architecture from Aspect Studios – will create natural-looking spaces developed to showcase

Foster + Partners’ plans to reinvigorate the famous Snowdon Aviary at ZSL London Zoo have received planning approval from Westminster Council. The Grade II listed structure, designed by Cedric Price with Frank Newby and Lord Snowdon in 1962, was the first aviary in Britain that gave visitors a ‘walk-through’ experience, bringing them closer to the birds in their natural habitat. The attraction was recently added to Historic England’s Risk Register

Chester Zoo will redevelop 100 acres (405,000sq m) of its existing site into grassland and forest areas as part of a £100m (US$130.4m, €113m) development masterplan. The grasslands area will be located in the western part of the zoo and will be characterised by large, open savannah landscape populated by a mix of free-roaming species in the same areas. To the eastern side of the zoo the forest zone will

Toronto Zoo is about to open its CA$18m (US$13.6m, €12.1m, £10.7m) Wildlife Health Centre – a brand new high-tech zoo hospital and laboratory with visitor facilities for the public. The zoo held an official opening ceremony for the 50,000sq ft (4,645sq m) centre on 26 June, with the facility opening to the public on Saturday (1 July). Once open, visitors will be able to access a public viewing area, which

Port Lympne Wild Animal and Safari Reserve debuted its new Tiger Lodge on 27 May – a first of its kind accommodation in the UK, built inside the zoo’s tiger enclosure. Featuring large picture windows, guests will be able to get face-to-face with Port Lympne’s tigers from the comfort of their own accommodation. On the other side of the lodges, a balcony offers views across the reserve and further, with

Copenhagen Zoo has revealed it is working with BIG architects on a brand new panda enclosure that will be shaped like an enormous yin-yang symbol. The new exhibit will house two giant pandas that China has offered to loan to Denmark, and will be built on the footprint of the zoo’s former elephant enclosure, which is now empty and will be demolished. The pandas will be delivered from Chengdu at

Global architecture firm Foster + Partners have been appointed to redevelop London Zoo’s famous Snowdon Aviary. The Grade II* listed structure, designed by Cedric Price with Frank Newby and Lord Snowdon in 1962, was recently added to Historic England’s Risk Register for structures in danger of falling into disrepair due to the high expense of necessary repairs compared with the likely end value. The aviary was the first in Britain

Plans are in the works to develop a multi-million pound aquarium project in Southampton, combining undersea creatures with a showcase of the region’s strengths and its links to the high seas. Combining an aquarium setting with a maritime center exploring Southampton’s position at the centre of a global story, the development promotes itself as championing “Storylines of Science, Technology and Life: Voyages of Discovery.” The site will also include a

Taronga Zoo, near Sydney, Australia, has received planning approval for a new science and conservation education centre. The A$30.7m (US$23.5, €20.8, £17.8m) Taronga Institute of Science and Learning (TISL) has been designed by New South Wales architecture firm NBRS. The old learning facility will be replaced by the new three-storey design, which is inspired by patterns in nature and will offer an immersive and interactive experience. NSW Department of Planning

Since opening its US$57m (€51.5m, £43.7m) African Adventure, California’s Fresno Chaffee Zoo has experienced a 40 per cent upturn in attendance. Funded mainly by a levy a tax to help support new zoo projects and programmes, the 13-acre (57,000sq m) project offers a modern home for a number of species, including African elephants, lions, cheetahs, wildebeest, giraffes, ostrich, springbok and more. “It’s by far the largest project we’ve done both

Pandas are on the agenda for design firm Dan Pearlman, with the Berlin-based practice creating the new panda enclosure for Berlin Zoo, while also debuting a new indoor and outdoor environment for pandas at Everland Resort in Yongin, South Korea. A pair of giant pandas, which can generate millions in revenue every year as visitors travel far and wide to get a glimpse of the endangered species, made their South

Detroit Zoo has debuted its new US$30m (€26.5m, £21.1m) penguin habitat, with the state-of-the-art enclosure offering a face-to-face encounter with the antarctic birds. Home to 69 penguins – gentoos, macaronis, king and rockhoppers – the Polk Penguin Conservation Center, designed by the architectural team of Albert Kahn Associates and Jones & Jones Architects, features an underwater gallery and two acrylic tunnels for visitors to see the birds fly through the

Memphis Zoo in Tennessee, US, is preparing to launch its new US$22.3m (€19.5m, £15.7m) Zambezi River Hippo Camp at the end of this month, bringing together a collection of animals in the immersive setting of an African fishing village. Created by Ace Torre of zoo specialists Torre Design Consortium, the experience covers 16,000sq m (174,000sq ft) and mimics a river walk through a remote camp. Starring two female hippos with

Plans for a second zoo in Sydney, slated for 2017, will be led by best-practice sustainability objectives, according to the project’s lead architects. The proposal in the Western Sydney Parklands at Bungarribee, covers 165,000sq m (40.7 acres) and could house up to 500 animals. John Burgess, managing director of Sydney Zoo and founder of Sydney Aquarium, announced plans for the attraction in September, which is expected to draw around 745,000

After a near two-decade delay, Cincinnati Zoo’s US$34m (€30m, £22m) Africa exhibit will enter its final phase of development after meeting a US$7.3m (€6.4m, £4.7m) target to build a new state-of-the-art hippo exhibit. Set to house two Nile hippos, the paddock – designed by architects Cornette-Violetta – will include an underwater viewing area for visitors, employing a multi-million dollar bespoke filtration system designed to manage the large amount of waste

PGAV Destinations have been appointed by Oklahoma’s Tulsa Zoo to develop a new US$16m (€14.3m, £10.4m) Asian animal exhibit slated for launch in 2017. Known as Lost Kingdom, the new exhibit will be realised through the renovation of existing buildings, repurposing of structures and development of brand new facilities. Covering 20,000sq m (215,000sq ft), the PGAV-designed exhibit is inspired by Asian cultures, featuring animal habitats, guest attractions and a dining

John Burgess, managing director of Sydney Zoo and founder of Sydney Aquarium, has announced plans for an AU$36m (US$25m, €22.3m, £16.3m) second zoo in Sydney, with the new facility set for the city’s western suburbs after securing funding for the development through private fundraising. Working in partnership with Allen Partners and Sturt Capital Partners, Burgess will develop the plans initially unveiled by NSW premier Mike Baird in March. ASPECT Studios

Bjarke Ingels has said that his upcoming zoo project in Givskud, Denmark, will completely reimagine the traditional format, doing away with cages and revolutionising the relationship between the zoo’s visitors and its inhabitants. Ingels, founding architect of his own practice, BIG, created designs for Denmark’s Zootopia – a hybrid of a traditional zoo and a safari based on the concept of a completely cageless experience. “Essentially the idea is to