Honor Awards
 
 
 
  

PEOPLE'S CHOICE | UNBUILT 

Entry Name: Henry Doorly Zoo Entrance Project
Firm: HDR Architecture, Inc.
Owner: Henry Doorly Zoo
Location: Omaha, Nebraska

The entrance experience at the zoo begins along a three-block-long curvilinear boulevard densely vegetated with native plants. The sinuous pedestrian paths direct zoo visitors to the new 14,000-square-foot Guest Services and Gift Shop buildings, which are linked by a 100-foot gateway.  That is, they offer the public views into the interior environments of the buildings. Above the pedestrian level, the design establishes a unifying connection across the varying architectural forms currently found at the zoo’s entrance. As with the zoo’s mission of conservation and care of our environment, the project has been designed to be environmentally responsible. Colored roof sections act as passive solar mitigation elements, reducing solar gain during warmer months and allowing low-angle solar energy and natural light to enter the building during colder months. The zinc panels evoke animal imagery, while providing shading and framing views of the surrounding environment.

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