August 15, 2024

LMN unveils final designs for Woodland Park Zoo exhibit

Renderings by LMN Architects [enlarge]

The exhibit’s centerpiece pavilion will be built with mass plywood. Its shape is inspired by the organic forms found in nature.

LMN Architects this week unveiled the final designs for the new Forest Trailhead exhibit, which is currently under construction at Seattle's Woodland Park Zoo.

General contractor Sellen has been building the exhibit since March. It is taking shape adjacent to the zoo's main entrance at the West Plaza and will replace the now demolished Day and Night exhibit complex, which was severely damaged in a 2016 fire.

Forest Trailhead is projected to open in 2026.

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From inside the pavilion, visitors will experience habitats featuring red pandas, kea parrots, tree-dwelling reptiles, colorful amphibians, fish and invertebrates in mixed-species groups.

The interactive and multi-sensory exhibit comprises a 12,000-square-foot, two-story pavilion building on one acre of grounds and natural habitat. The pavilion is connected to the habitat via new paths, including an elevated canopy walkway that reaches to surrounding treetops populated with resident red pandas and tree kangaroos.

Guests will enter the exhibit via the elevated canopy path, which will lead them through the trees into the pavilion. Once inside, the pavilion's upper level will offer additional viewing spaces for the treetop dwelling animals. A fully accessible path will lead guests down to the mid-level of the building which will house habitats featuring kea parrots. The lower level of the structure will include habitats for tree-dwelling reptiles, colorful amphibians, fish, and invertebrates in mixed-species groups.

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Forest Trailhead will have an elevated canopy path surrounded by tree-dwelling red pandas and kangaroos.

In the pavilion, open plazas will offer interpretive information and can also be used to host animal keeper talks and special events. Skylights were added to the structure's roof to bring dappled light into the interior in ways reminiscent of sunlight filtering through leaves.

The thematic focus of Forest Trailhead is conservation awareness. Visitors will experience the wildlife of the world's forests firsthand while also learning about conservation efforts by the zoo and its partners to preserve those habitats, providing a hopeful view on the future of forests and the animals and people who depend on them.

Throughout the exhibit's landscape, indigenous art and interpretation will further enrich the visitor experience and honor the cultural heritage of the region.

The pavilion will be built with mass plywood. It has a fluid and dynamic form evoking fractal patterns which LMN says is “inspired by organic shapes found in nature.” It will be clad in a dark material made from a sustainable recycled composite. This cladding was chosen to help the building recede into the forest. The mass plywood structure, which is sourced from regional forests, will be exposed on the interior, showcasing the warmth and beauty of the wood.

The exhibit is targeting LEED Gold certification. LMN's sustainable design strategy includes the use of mass plywood over mass timber (as it has less embodied carbon and produces minimal production waste), a PV roof array, and an onsite stormwater management system.

LMN's final design incorporates robust community input from diverse internal and external stakeholders.

Forest Trailhead is expected to cost $35 million. It is the final capital project of the zoo's $110 million Forests for All comprehensive fundraising campaign which launched in 2018.

The Forest Trailhead design team also includes CLR Design, habitat designer; Walker Macy, landscape architect; Aware Institute, animal welfare scientist; Tahoma Peak Solutions, indigenous horticulture; Headwater People, tribal engagement; Mayfly Engineering + Design, civil engineer; PAE, MEP engineer; Lund Opsahl, structural engineer; Dark Light Design, lighting design; Stantec, acoustics; Humming Voices, community engagement; Studio Matthews, interpretative design; and DCW Cost Management, cost estimator.