LINCOLN PARK ZOO in Chicago recently gained a new combined education centre and yoga classroom, the Pond Pavilion, which has been integrated into the 31 km long nature trail that runs around the lake. With its soft and repetitive pattern, the pavilion is part of a bigger redesign aimed at promoting the wildlife in the area.
The vaulted structure is made from glulam beams of Douglas fir that have been bent and connected to each other. To protect the wood, each oval in the roof has been covered with a semi-transparent rounded fibreglass membrane. In coming up with this particular design, local architects Studio Gang took inspiration from the shape of a turtle shell.«
