Germany: Rostock Zoo’s ”Polarium“ Project Is Advancing

For the development of its new polar bear and penguin enclosure “Polarium”, Germany’s Rostock Zoo has commissioned the Hamburg-based working-group Pol-Position as the general planner for the construction as well as the experience architecture company dan pearlman Markenarchitektur GmbH from Berlin for the visitor center’s exhibition concept. On a total construction area of 12,500 square meters, the new enclosure will offer an extensive area for polar bears, including a large diving pool with insight-views for visitors and an open-air enclosure for penguins (cf. EAP news from March 20^th, 2015). Guests can learn more about the polar biotop and its inhabitants in the accompanying visitor center, which aims to create a feeling of being immersed into a world “from pole to pole”. To support the zoo with financial resources, the economics minister of the German federal state Mecklenburg-West Pomerania, Harry Glawe, handed over a grant notification of 131,290 Euro to Rostock’s mayor Roland Methling and Zoo Director Udo Nagel. “With ‘Darwineum’ the zoo has impressively demonstrated how knowledge-based adventure worlds stimulate the region’s tourism independently from the season. Anyone who wants to progress in this highly competitive market has to make targeted investments in the tourism infrastructure. […] ‘Polarium’ will make the zoo even more attractive for visitors from Rostock as well as for national and international guests,” said economics minister Glawe. The construction works are now shortly to begin at Rostock zoo as “Polarium” is scheduled to open in time for the 800^th anniversary of the city in spring 2018. (eap)