Bronx Zoo
Bronx, NY

Completion 2003
Size 265 Acres

The Bronx Zoo is the largest metropolitan zoo in the nation and a respected center for research and education. It also is headquarters for the Wildlife Conservation Society, which saves wildlife and wild lands around the world.

The Zoo contacted Ayers/Saint/Gross to assess its use of the urban landscape and to plan changes to improve care of the animals and the visitor experience. At all times, we were guided by the knowledge that all proposed actions must be good for the animals, good for humans, and a model for other zoos.

As a living institution, living classroom, and living landscape, the Zoo has a vital mandate to:

• • Share world-class conservation, propagation, and research programs with millions of visitors annually
• Educate students and teachers about the survival of wild animals and their habitats. About 300,000 of them are reached annually.
• Inspire a long-term commitment to international wildlife conservation through stewardship of more than 8,000 animals in 265 acres of native forest and constructed exotic landscapes.

To further the Wildlife Conservation Society’s conservation mission many sustainable principles were incorporated into the Zoo’s Master Plan such as:

• • Parking lots were divided with rows of trees to provide shade, reduce the heat-island effect and capture and filter rain prior to releasing the water into the Bronx River
• • Some of the green building features recommended for future Zoo facilities include maximizing day-light in interior spaces, sustainable material selection, addition of green roofs and natural ventilation.

The planning team focused on four primary themes: Heightening visitors' arrival excitement at the four entrances; relocating the service yard and new research facilities to make better use of their land for exhibits; clarifying the circulation patterns to reveal the wealth of attractions; renewing the beauty of Astor Court, the Zoo's historic and administrative core. The Zoo is a significant presence in the Bronx and a resource for all of New York City.