San Diego Children’s Zoo 

The highly acclaimed San Diego Zoo sought to update and bring a higher level of engagement with children when visiting the Zoo.  Through this vision the design team comprised of design and experiential architects created a wonderful series of learning and fun adventures.  This engagement has long-term implications since the guests are fully engulfed in animal environments where a higher level of appreciation and knowledge of the animal kingdom takes hold.  The new Children’s Zoo features scores of large-scale animal sculptures ranging from a dozen leaf cutter ants nominally 2 meters long (6’6” long) to multiple play sculptures of animals up to 3+ meters long and 1.2 meters tall (10’0” long and 4’0” tall).  Signage also took on the theme of each area of the zoo with clever wayfinding. 

Architects:

HGW Architects
San Diego, California 

DPA Experiential Architects
San Diego, California 

Project Location:

San Diego, California 

Scope of work:

Design, engineering, material applications, structural review, molds, casting, finishing and assembly of animal sculptures and signage. 

Materials:

Tactile FRP
Tactile Cast Glass
Tactile Cast Aluminum 
Tactile Composites