Visiondivision shared with us their design for the Royal Elephant Pavilion which was rewarded an honorable mention in a not so ordinary competition. Recently, the Swedish King Carl XVI Gustav received two female elephants from the King and Queen of Thailand as a way to express their gratitude for the creation of a Buddhist pavilion in the north of Sweden. Stemming from this event, a competition was created to design the facilities for the two elephants.
More about the Elephant Pavilion after the break.
“We decided to locate the elephant house on the Royal family’s castle at an island outside Stockholm. It…seemed logical to locate the two elephants in a more populated town and also more respectful to the King of Thailand to have his gift in a Royal environment,” explained the architects.
The project takes into consideration the differing treatment of elephants by the two cultures. Whereas in Thailand, the elephants are free to live outdoors, in Sweden, animals are often kept in more confined “traditional elephant houses.” Upon investigating these differences, Visiondivison decided the elephants would experience a little of each culture. While the elephants can roam the King’s island, similar to their freedom in their native country, the animals will also experience the modern amenities of a pavilion/winter shelter. The complex will include specially designed rubber pits to provide sleeping areas, a mud hole to roll around in, a pool with a shower, and a tactile rubber wall to scratch on.
A ramp takes the elephants down to their winter palace, while a walk up roof will provide viewing areas for spectators. The animals will be close by their new owner providing a constant reminder of the new friendship between the countries.
Type: Competition Status: Special honorable mention Birth: 2005 Location: Stockholm, Sweden Credits: Visiondivision through Anders Berensson & Ulf Mejergren
