Hellabrunn Zoo, Jungle House

Munich, Germany

The best zoo design has travelled a long way from the iron bars and restless pacing of caged animals. At Hellabrunn Zoo in Munich, the lions are lazing around in a unique Lion House under a new kind of transparent roof - a great net of stainless steel cables and pneumatic cushions slung from masts - no doubt under the imprint ion they are beneath African skies.The roof permits photosynthesis to take place and temperature to be controlled. The pneumatic cushions absorb differential movements between the continuous glass base of the building and the cable net. Design of the roof permits natural ventilation. In addition the climate is regulated by air-conditioning and mist-cooling systems.

The membrane structure of Zoo Hellbrunn has been realized by Koit Hightex GmbH, a predecessor company of Hightex.