Reusing Abandoned Zoos: A Progressive Approach to Human-Animal Relationship

Zoos are no longer a vital part of our society today, due to their inability to adapt to current animal welfare standards a significant number have been closed and lie vacant, sometimes in dense urban setting. This thesis will tackle the problem of the abandoned zoo, adapting this institution to fit with the values of modern day animal welfare. So that in the future the zoo will not be the only habitat of the wild animal. In many cities urban sprawl and urban development has forced the local wildlife out of the city. A habitat that was once their own, has been claimed by the human race. Because of the lack of habitats, many animal species have adapted their survival techniques in order to live alongside to humans. Using the abandoned zoo typology, this thesis will restore urban land for the animals, fostering wildlife sanctuaries for regional wildlife, while allowing the humans to view the animals and landscape in a noninvasive manner. The goal is to establish a positive human to animal relationship while transforming these sites within an urban framework. In response to the current shifts in zoological design, the idea that the zoo should work together harmoniously with the natural world, fostering local ecology and promoting biodiversity.