Zootopia Is the Futurama of Zoos

As someone who grew up in Nebraska, I know a thing or two about zoos. The Henry Doorly Zoo in Omaha just got voted best zoo in America on TripAdvisor! But zoos are all the same. Animals are in cages or pens and you go around the zoo observing them. It’s a pretty standard formula. The Bjarke Ingels Group is looking to change that, though.

The Danish architecture studio recently revealed plans for a new kind of zoo. The concept is switched around so that the animals will essentially have free reign of the land in their section of the zoo. The group says they hope they could “both enhance the quality of life for the animals as well as for the keepers and guests.” The entrance is essentially a giant circle, as demonstrated in the above rendering. This allows you to roam and get an overview of the park while simultaneously allowing you to enter the various portions of the park individually. The plan is that any human interaction is going to be integrated into the landscape, so that it mimics the animals’ natural habitats better. More information and photos can be found on Bjarke Ingels Group’s website.

The bubble bikes freak me out a little, but I actually really like this concept. Please tell me I’m not the only one who immediately thought of this, though?

(via Laughing Squid; photos via Bjarke Ingels Group, Futurama)

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