Wild animals and rare plants, unique landscapes and distant cultures – the expedition to the Islands, the fascinating island world of Southeast Asia, starts at Chester Zoo.
The Islands project, with a budget of £40 million, is the largest zoo development in the history of British zoos.It was designed by dan pearlman Erlebnisarchitektur under the direction of Kieran Stanley. The goal was to create a themed environment across 74,500 square metres that reflects the zoo’s commitment to global conservation efforts and allows visitors to build emotional connections with endangered animals and their natural habitats.
Islands as a unique experience
Six islands were created, offering visitors a sense of authenticity through culturally inspired design, realistic spatial arrangements, and architectural styles from the Indo-Pacific region. Highlights such as underwater views into the tiger and crocodile habitats, a large Monsoon Forest house, and a themed boat ride make visiting the Islands an unforgettable experience.
An attractive visitor destination with strong appeal
Chester Zoo aimed to boost its appeal, extend the average visitor stay by 1.5 hours, and strengthen attendance during the off-season. At the same time, the project sought to create optimal living conditions for the animals and communicate conservation topics in an engaging and immersive way. The six islands – Panay, Papua, Bali, Sumatra, Sumba, and Sulawesi – were designed to be as authentic as possible. Since opening in summer 2015, the Islands have become home to orangutans, macaques, hornbills, Sumatran tigers, and a crocodile. All 22 species featured in the habitat are placed according to their natural geographic distribution – many of them part of Chester Zoo’s real-life conservation programmes.
Storytelling with a focus on conservation
The storyline centres around a team of conservationists exploring Southeast Asia and creates a strong narrative link to Chester Zoo’s conservation work. As visitors journey through the Islands, they discover the richness and fragility of the region’s unique flora and fauna. A team of conservationists has left some traces on the Islands. Visitors continually encounter equipment, notebooks, sketches and observation posts, becoming part of the research team while on their journey. Not only can the Islands be explored on foot, but also via a 450-metre boat tour. Fourteen individually designed boats in Southeast Asian style transport up to 238 guests at a time through the landscape, offering a 15-minute immersive experience. Slowing down, shifting perspectives, and fostering closeness to animals were key factors in designing the ride.
Architecture in Indo-Pacific style
A total of 14 buildings were designed in various Indo-Pacific architectural styles, including stables, visitor facilities, the boat station, and all connecting bridges – all constructed with meticulous attention to detail. We were also responsible for aviaries, climbing structures, and extensive landscape modelling. A modern contrast and architectural highlight is the Monsoon Forest, entirely planned by our team. Highly efficient in both function and form, the structure blends naturally into the environment, with only the roof visible from outside. Its airy ETFE membrane allows essential UVA and UVB rays to pass through, creating ideal conditions for animals and plants. Inside, visitors experience a valley-like topography flooded with natural light – a living biotope with trails winding through different rainforest layers.
INCA Award 2016
The result speaks for itself: The Islands not only impressed visitors but also earned recognition as an outstanding leisure destination – winning the INCA Award in 2016.
FACTS AT A GLANCE:
Client: Chester Zoo
Project: Islands
Services: Architecture and Landscape Architecture (RIBA A-F, artistic supervision), communication, F&B, retail
Planning time: 2011 – 2015
Construction period: 2013 – 2015
Overall planning area: 74.500 m2
Building foot print: 3.280 m2 (Monsoon Forest show house) 5.200 m2 total
Gross floor area: 5.248 m2 (Monsoon Forest show house) 7.790 m2 total
Gross volume: 28.819 m3 (Monsoon Forest show house)
Construction costs: 40 million GBP / approx. 55.8 million EUR
Copyright Picture Rainforest Building: Chester Zoo
