Germany: Berlin Zoo Unveils Plans for New Panda Plant

Last year, Berlin Zoo already announced the return of the Giant Panda to Germany – now, they presented the concept for a new 5,480 square meter panda plant, planned by dan pearlman Erlebnisarchitektur.

Two separate outdoor areas, a visitor pavilion and a functional building hosting a stable and a staff’s room form the whole complex. Entering the zoo via the existing “Elephant Gate” entrance, visitors can already see the shape of the pavilion and its historical Chinese architecture, which provides a first insight into one of the outdoor enclosures. The panda plant’s landscape is rich of bamboo, rock formations and water courses and reminds of the Chinese Sichuan province, home to the Giant Pandas. In the visitor area, organic forms on floor and ceiling as well as bamboo plants create a thematic link to the animal enclosure, combining Chinese tradition with European modernity. Under the “behavioural enrichment” concept, the two naturally designed outdoor enclosures will offer several diversion opportunities for the pandas such as a climbing course, sand pools, shelters, swings and slides. For visitors, the zoo will additionally offer an exhibition on the life of the Giant Panda, which is being created by dan pearlman Markenarchitektur.

The investment for the new panda plant amounts to a total of nine million Euros – the facility is planned to be completed in summer 2017. Dr. Andreas Knieriem, Director of Berlin Zoo, is proud of the addition: “The facility’s design has been developed in close collaboration with our experts from zoology. We are delighted that the Giant Panda returns to Germany after five years. They are special animals and they will live in one of the most modern plants within Europe,” said Dr. Knieriem. Besides Berlin, there are five European animal parks hosting the Giant Panda: ZooParc Beauval in Saint-Aignam (France), Pairi Daiza in Belgium and the zoos of Edinburgh, Madrid and Vienna. (eap)