Our aviary at Ostrava Zoo is entered for the Construction of the Year Competition 2021

The La Pampa aviary is the largest open-air exhibit at Ostrava Zoo and Botanical Park where visitors can experience being in the immediate vicinity of the animals. The aviary was designed as a symbolic connection to three areas in Argentina: Espinal, Monte and Pampa, each with their own climate and vegetation. Thanks to the close cooperation of architects, builders and zoologists, it was possible to create a unique environment that is both attractive to visitors and favourable to its winged inhabitants. The unique aviary is home to a flock of raven condors, gray-winged ibises, yellow-billed oystercatchers, bronze-winged ducks, American sagebrushes.

The elegant, light and airy space of the aviary consists of a supporting structure using a system of columns and rods which mimic a tree structure. The load-bearing system is followed by seemingly levitating, almost invisible walls with a roof formed by a stainless steel braided net.

A winding trail leads through the aviary, bringing visitors almost within reach of the birds, but at the same time passing by and not disturbing their quiet habitat. The trail is lined with rich greenery, stone hills and wetlands where birds feel at home. The aviary is accessible to visitors, including families with children and people with reduced mobility through two barrier-free entrances from the southeast and southwest. Part of the inner area of ​​the aviary is the so-called parking aviary, which is used to capture and then divide the birds into individual indoor quarters according to breeding requirements and specific needs. The southern façade of the inner aviary consists of stone blocks resembling a rock formation, which is a resting zone for birds. The composition of the greenery is designed to resemble the character of the South American pampas and the local wetlands.

You can vote for the best building of 2021 HERE.