Students visit the office of the Dan Pearlman Group, and discuss the future of zoos with Dr. Andreas Knieriem at the Berlin Zoo.
image: Natascha Meuser
Man and animal, architecture and zoology: how do these elements fit together and relate to each other? Society’s view of the optimal coexistence of humans and animals has changed fundamentally since the first scientifically managed zoological garden was built in Paris in 1793. This change in human conceptions of
the wild animal – from a mere showpiece to a being with rights – is now more than ever a topical issue.
The project in the winter semester of 2019/20 deals with the construction of a new panda house at Berlin Zoo. Before the first sketch is drawn, the question of the future inhabitants of the facility must first be clarified. For the dramaturgy and staging of buildings and fauna, this means nothing less than the ‘invention of a new world’. The core principles for the design must be developed through research and then implemented and presented in a concrete design. The final works should not only spark discussion about contemporary animal husbandry, but also provide important and innovative inspiration for the up-to-date transfer of knowledge in zoos.
