Animal Showcase: an Architectural History of Zoological Gardens
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Animal Showcase: An architectural history of zoological gardens. Animal Showcase An architectural Byera Hadley history of early Travelling Scholarships zoological gardens. Journal Series 2015 Rachel Couper 1 NSW Architects Registration Board A 2 NSW Architects Registration Board A The Byera Hadley Travelling Scholarships Journal Series is a select library of research compiled by more than 160 architects, students and graduates since 1951, and made possible by the generous gift of Sydney Architect and educator, Byera Hadley. Byera Hadley, born in 1872, was a distinguished architect responsible for the design and execution of a number of fine buildings in New South Wales. He was dedicated to architectural education, both as a part-time teacher in architectural drawing at the Sydney Technical College, and culminating in his appointment in 1914 as Lecturer-in-Charge at the College’s Department of Architecture. Under his guidance, the College became acknowledged as one of the finest schools of architecture in the British Empire. Byera Hadley made provision in his will for a bequest to enable graduates of architecture from a university in NSW to travel in order to broaden their experience in architecture, with a view to advancing architecture upon their return to Australia. Today, the Byera Hadley Travelling Scholarship fund is managed by Perpetual as Trustee, in conjunction with the NSW Architects Registration Board. For more information on Byera Hadley, and the Byera Hadley Travelling Scholarships go to www.architects.nsw.gov.au or get in contact with the NSW Architects Registration Board at: Level 2, 156 Gloucester Street, Sydney NSW 2000. Rachel Couper was awarded the Byera Hadley Travelling You can also follow us on Twitter at: Scholarship in 2014 www.twitter.com/ArchInsights Cover image: A detail from an early map entitled A Bird’s Eye The Board acknowledges that all text, images and diagrams View of the Zoological Gardens contained in this publication are those of the author unless Regent’s Park, London from 1858. otherwise noted. © NSW Architects Registration Board 2015 Byera Hadley Travelling Scholarships Journal Series Animal Showcase: An architectural history of zoological gardens. Animal Showcase: An architectural history of early zoological gardens. 3 Introduction 1 Jardin des Plantes 6 The Gardens of the Zoological Society of London 16 Berlin Zoo 28 Hagenbeck Tierpark 38 The Smithsonian National Zoo 50 The New York Zoological Park 60 Conclusions 70 References 74 Bibliography 80 Acknowledgements 82 Animal Showcase is an international study of the architectural history of early zoological gardens, amalgamating primary resources with historical documentation in order to create a comprehensive summary of the development of the architectural typology of zoological gardens. 4 Byera Hadley Travelling Scholarships Journal Series Animal Showcase: An architectural history of zoological gardens. 1 Introduction 1 Animal Showcase is an international study of the documentation and resources. This study looks at architectural history of early zoological gardens. It the historical background, key players and cultural has been formulated to act as a reference point and context in which each of the zoological gardens resource for further avenues of architectural study, was established. It then traces the development such as the relationship between architecture of the key architectural attributes of each, such and science, culture and animals, nature and the as site, circulation, landscaping and views, built built environment. Much has been written on the form, territory and scale. This report amalgamates history of zoological gardens, but there has been primary resources that were sourced during the little focus on the development of the architectural research trip with historical documentation that has typology of the zoo. been previously been published in order to create a concise but comprehensive summary of the The scope of the research spans the inception development of architectural typology in zoological of the first zoological garden through to the gardens. ‘Animal Showcase’ provides a broader early 1900s, as this was the period in which the understanding of the role architectural design foundations of the architectural typology of played in the formation of the zoo as a cultural zoological gardens were established. Researching institution and highlights the complex relationship this area of study involved the identification of six that exists between zoological architecture and key developments in the architectural typology cultural understandings of animals and nature. of the zoo. These developments occurred in The Jardin des Plantes in Paris, The London Zoo, The Background Berlin Zoo, Hagenbeck’s Tierpark in Hamburg, The Smithsonian National Zoological Park in The zoological garden functions as a cultural Washington DC and the New York Zoological Park showcase of animals, and to a lesser extent the (as the Bronx Zoo was originally known). Each of natural world. The design of the zoological garden these zoos made an influential contribution to the is a consequence of human interpretations of evolution of architectural typology, shaping the the way in which animals and the natural world cultural expectations of current zoological gardens. should be perceived and presented. Zoological architecture therefore has the capacity to function The chronological nature of the study allows the as the physical embodiment of various cultural evolution of zoological typology to be traced understandings, whether they be perceptions of in a systematic and logical manner. Much of the animals and the natural world, scientific knowledge historical documentation and correspondence or the relationship between architecture and the relating to the architectural history of zoos in built environment. The zoological garden has been general has not been widely published. Therefore, the subject of many investigations into complex each of the zoological gardens listed above was issues such as the ethics of animal captivity, visited during the study and, where possible, access animal care and welfare, and the relationships was obtained to the archives in search of primary between people and animals. Very little analytical 2 research, however, has focused specifically on of each. The chapters of ‘Animal Showcase’ follow the architecture of the zoo. ‘Animal Showcase’ the evolution of zoo typology in chronological traces the changing treatment of architectural order. Each chapter includes a historical summary mechanisms such as pedestrian routes, views, of the establishment of the zoo, the identification landscaping, figure ground relationships, site of the main contributors and a breakdown of plans, materials, built form, territory and scale in the key architectural developments of each. The early zoological gardens. A clear understanding result provides a thorough documentation of the of the history of these architectural mechanisms establishment of the architectural typology of the may provide an avenue for an alternate thinking of zoo, from which further architectural studies can zoological gardens. evolve. An alternate thinking is desirable as the zoological Methodology and Scope garden is a problematic topic and there is much conflicted debate about how they should best The methodology of this study combines the to proceed into the future. The zoo is a cultural research of primary architectural documentation construct, a built environment designed to of zoological gardens, where available, with showcase animals and the natural world in a publications documenting their overall history culturally acceptable architectural language. As in order to provide a concise summary of the such, there are many avenues for an architectural development of the architectural typology of contribution to be made to the debate surrounding zoological gardens. A research trip was undertaken the future direction of zoological gardens. ‘Animal to each of the case studies, in which the current Showcase’ endeavours to provide the historical zoological garden was investigated and, where groundwork from which those contributions can possible, the archives visited. Each of the case be made. studies proved dramatically different in their archival arrangements but it was possible to obtain The study was undertaken by researching the previously unavailable architectural information history of early zoological gardens in order to from each. identify six key developments in the evolution of the architectural typology of zoological gardens. Animal Showcase is restricted to the analysis of These developments occurred in The Jardin des Western zoological gardens in part for expedience Plantes in Paris, The London Zoo, The Berlin Zoo, and in part because the case studies listed defined Hagenbeck’s Tierpark in Hamburg, The Smithsonian a typology that in turn influenced the majority of National Zoological Park in Washington DC and international zoological gardens. The scope of the the New York Zoological Park. An investigation research spans the inception of the first zoological was then undertaken of each of these zoological garden through to the early 1900s as this was the gardens in person and, where possible, period in which the foundations of the architectural arrangements made to access the archival records typology of the zoo were established. Byera Hadley Travelling Scholarships Journal Series Animal Showcase: An architectural history of zoological gardens. Figure 1: A hand painted