Zoo / Waiwhakareke Shared Entry Precinct

After winning a design competition in colloboration with Wraight & Associates and Designwell, our multi-disciplinary team are currently working with Hamilton City Council to develop a Shared Entry Precinct linking the Waiwhakareke Natural Heritage Park and the Hamilton Zoo.

This project seeks to to reposition Hamilton Zoo as a major national conservation and sustainable resource while enhancing the visitor experience to a high standard, so that the Zoo can become one of Hamilton’s major tourism attractions, alongside Hamilton Gardens. A sequence of spaces are proposed that hinge from the connecting spine linking the Zoo and Waiwhakareke.

Date
In Progress

Location
Hamilton, NZ

The continuous open space armature maximises
amenity, recreation and educational opportunities. The key Waharua threads of Ecology, Arrival, Education and Play are woven throughout the spaces and are supported by an immersive / interpretive walk.

The covered walkway provides a sheltered place to move, gather and cross the road. It deliberately dissipates towards Waiwhakareke supporting the quieter wilderness and outdoor experience that this place provides. Additional shelter is proposed at the multi-purpose lookout, shelter and gathering structure, which ties into the language of the main canopy and provides a visual beacon at the east, along with the retained oak.

"You can have an experience where, on one side of the road, you can see overseas ecosystems, the Savannah environment with the appropriate animals roaming around. But across the road, to the east, you'll be able to go and see New Zealand as it was prior to human arrival"

- Waikato Times