Public Pavilion of New Zoological Park La Garenne / LOCALARCHITECTURE

Public Pavilion of New Zoological Park La Garenne / LOCALARCHITECTURE - Image 2 of 28Public Pavilion of New Zoological Park La Garenne / LOCALARCHITECTURE - Image 3 of 28Public Pavilion of New Zoological Park La Garenne / LOCALARCHITECTURE - Image 4 of 28Public Pavilion of New Zoological Park La Garenne / LOCALARCHITECTURE - Image 5 of 28Public Pavilion of New Zoological Park La Garenne / LOCALARCHITECTURE - More Images+ 23

Le Vaud, Switzerland
  • Architects: LOCALARCHITECTURE
  • Area Area of this architecture project Area:  315
  • Year Completion year of this architecture project Year:  2016
  • Photographs
    Photographs:Matthieu Gafsou
  • Manufacturers Brands with products used in this architecture project
    Manufacturers:  Mivelaz bois
Public Pavilion of New Zoological Park La Garenne / LOCALARCHITECTURE - Image 3 of 28
© Matthieu Gafsou

Text description provided by the architects. INTRODUCTION          

For 48 years La Garenne zoo had occupied a site below the village of Le Vaud .In 2013 a project took shape to move the entire zoo to a much bigger neighbouring site. A new concept was developed, featuring an educational trail that links up the various aviaries and enclosures, moving from a pastoral landscape to an alpine setting and ending with a treetop walkway among the trees of the local forest.

Public Pavilion of New Zoological Park La Garenne / LOCALARCHITECTURE - Image 4 of 28
© Matthieu Gafsou

LOCALARCHITECTURE was commissioned to design an entrance pavilion for the new zoo. The key challenge for the architects was therefore to incorporate into this setting a built structure that would provide the necessary entrance functions and define the new identity of La Garenne zoo. 

Public Pavilion of New Zoological Park La Garenne / LOCALARCHITECTURE - Image 2 of 28
© Matthieu Gafsou

LIMITS

Right from the start of their research the architects focused on the question of limits and boundaries – an inherent aspect of a zoological park: the park perimeters, access ways and entrances, public areas, barriers formed by plants and by built structures, etc. The entrance pavilion itself is a boundary, aligned as it is with the natural border formed by the strip of woodland along Route Du Bois-Laurent at the lower end of the site. The pavilion building is the only way of accessing the site, acting as a filter between the outside world and the reinvented natural world of the zoological park.

Public Pavilion of New Zoological Park La Garenne / LOCALARCHITECTURE - Image 19 of 28
© Matthieu Gafsou

DESIGN

The indentations of the building’s design are used to define the two key public spaces: the entrance forecourt on one side and the zoo’s central hub on the other. Crossing this building signals to visitors that they are entering the zoo – and they do this at the centre, the narrowest point of the structure. Arriving through this restricted channel gives visitors the feeling of gaining direct, immediate access to the world of the zoo.

Public Pavilion of New Zoological Park La Garenne / LOCALARCHITECTURE - Image 5 of 28
© Matthieu Gafsou
Public Pavilion of New Zoological Park La Garenne / LOCALARCHITECTURE - Image 24 of 28
Floor Plan
Public Pavilion of New Zoological Park La Garenne / LOCALARCHITECTURE - Image 15 of 28
© Matthieu Gafsou
Public Pavilion of New Zoological Park La Garenne / LOCALARCHITECTURE - Image 25 of 28
Section

The pavilion’s primary functional elements are incorporated successively along its length. The ends of the building open out to create spaces at either end: for the reception and shop on one side, leading to the restaurant, and for a multi-purpose event space on the other.

Public Pavilion of New Zoological Park La Garenne / LOCALARCHITECTURE - Exterior Photography
© Matthieu Gafsou

The roof also dips at the centre, highlighting the entrance point and rising away on either side to accommodate the adjacent reception facilities.

Public Pavilion of New Zoological Park La Garenne / LOCALARCHITECTURE - Exterior Photography
© Matthieu Gafsou

STRUCTURE AND IDENTITY

The curved building volume is defined by the wide roof structure, which is extended by overhanging eaves connected to the ground by angled wooden verticals. This non-rectangular supporting structure references organic, natural forms, while at the same time creating an alternating effect between the infilled triangles, which bear the load of the building, and the glazed, transparent triangles which open up views of the entrance area and the park interior.

Public Pavilion of New Zoological Park La Garenne / LOCALARCHITECTURE - Image 28 of 28
Detail

On the other side this ‘interwoven’, alternating structure becomes the roof structure that shapes and defines the interior spaces, making optimal use of the surface area and ensuring that the pavilion retains its functional flexibility over time.

Public Pavilion of New Zoological Park La Garenne / LOCALARCHITECTURE - Image 20 of 28
© Matthieu Gafsou

ASPECTS OF THE CONSTRUCTION

The construction concept is rational and economical, based as it is on the repetition of a regular grid scheme. The elements are largely prefabricated, permitting rapid, efficient construction. The choice of this kind of structure also makes the building easy to de-construct and facilitates recycling. The building uses materials of controlled and certified provenance. All the structural timber is FSC-certified or equivalent.The building as a whole earned Certificat d’Origine Bois Suisse accreditation for its use of Swiss wood. Timber construction represents 157 m3 of the built volume: in other words, 97% of the building materials used are Swiss in origin.                                                   

Public Pavilion of New Zoological Park La Garenne / LOCALARCHITECTURE - Exterior Photography, Stairs, Facade
© Matthieu Gafsou

Because the new structure sits on a raft at ground level – the level of the entrance forecourt – and did not require any excavations, it was fully prefabricated and the prefabricated elements were assembled on site, minimising the construction period. Each triangle of the façade represents a finished prefabricated unit which simply needed to be installed on the site. The triangle structure has a timber frame and the roof comprises a system of prefabricated wooden box units. The design is therefore deliberately lightweight – easy to dismount and to adapt as necessary over time.

Public Pavilion of New Zoological Park La Garenne / LOCALARCHITECTURE - Image 17 of 28
© Matthieu Gafsou

The building derives its faceted appearance from the vertical fold-lines incorporated in the window panels. The structure as a whole breaks down into equal arc segments, creating the basis for a system of repeated structural elements – including the prefabricated wooden panels, the glazed triangles and the metal fascia elements on the roof.

Public Pavilion of New Zoological Park La Garenne / LOCALARCHITECTURE - Image 18 of 28
© Matthieu Gafsou

Project gallery

See allShow less

Project location

Address:Route du Bois Laurent 3, 1261 Le Vaud, Switzerland

Click to open map
Location to be used only as a reference. It could indicate city/country but not exact address.
About this office
Cite: "Public Pavilion of New Zoological Park La Garenne / LOCALARCHITECTURE" 20 Oct 2016. ArchDaily. Accessed . <https://www.archdaily.com/797685/public-pavilion-of-new-zoological-park-la-gavenne-localarchitecture> ISSN 0719-8884

You've started following your first account!

Did you know?

You'll now receive updates based on what you follow! Personalize your stream and start following your favorite authors, offices and users.