The new gorilla pavilion will be created according to the design by the ABM Architekti studio

Prague - A new gorilla pavilion in the upper part of Prague Zoo will be built according to the design of ABM Architekti. It is expected to be constructed in 2016 and 2017, with this year allocated for the preparation of project documentation and obtaining all necessary permits. The exact opening date was not predicted by the zoo's director Miroslav Bobek at today’s press conference. The costs for the construction of the new exhibition and other buildings directly related to it are expected to amount to 121 million crowns.
The spaces in the new pavilion are two to three times larger compared to the current pavilion, which is inadequate mainly due to its location in the lower part of the zoo, which is at risk of flooding. In addition to the breeding group, it is also planned to place a group of males unsuitable for breeding, said primate curator Vít Lukáš.
The design according to which the construction will take place received second prize in the architectural competition. The first prize was not awarded because none of the participants was able to fully meet the requirements. "There is still a lot to resolve and finish. That's for further cooperation between us as the client and the authors," stated Jiří Kotek from the zoo's construction department, who was the chairman of the jury. According to him, it concerns minor incompleteness.
The new gorilla pavilion will be built below the vineyard house Sklenářka at the end of the African house enclosures, home to, among other animals, giraffes. An important part of the specification was the requirement that distant views of this valuable structure must not be disturbed. Furthermore, the landscape character of the area should be preserved, so the pavilion will be embedded in the surrounding terrain and largely covered with excavated soil. Additionally, it will have a green roof.
The zoo needs its founder, the City of Prague, to cover more than half of the costs. "We need it to be at least 60, preferably 70 to 75 million crowns," Bobek said. Part of the costs will be covered from the zoo's investment funds, and the public is also expected to contribute. It is planned that a special account established after the flood in 2013, which has 18 million crowns available, will be used for these purposes. Moreover, at the end of last year, the zoo reached out to 30,000 donors for help, from whom it has so far raised 1.2 million crowns.
The current gorilla pavilion is likely to be used in the future for other primates, which can be more easily evacuated in case of flooding. "But it's not definitive yet, it will be dealt with," Bobek noted. The zoo management continues to plan construction in the lower part, which can be threatened by high water. However, animals that can be moved without major problems will be placed there.