How can leisure and relaxation be combined with wildlife conservation? At Wilhelma Stuttgart, a blueprint of Asia's cultural habitat is created with the Asian enclosure. It allows visitors to immerse themselves in the Far Eastern world and to experience wildlife conservation up close. The new complex consists of two parts: the Indian village and a hoofed animal enclosure which is home to Bactrian camels, domestic yaks and Mesopotamian fallow deer. In the middle of the village, a village square forms the cultural centre of the new enclosure and creates a place where visitors can experience the natural Asian environment. Kieran Stanley and his team from dan pearlman experience architecture are responsible for the design and execution of both parts of the project.
In the new Asian enclosure at Wilhelma Stuttgart, visitors can experience the world of Asia at first hand. Along a water-bound trail sit small buildings which are bathed in bright colours and together appear like a real Indian village square. Analogous to real life, here the heart of the village is beating. Everything looks as if it was built by hand by the villagers. The multi-functional building is the most prominent one and with a corrugated iron roof, plaster facade and colour-contrasting doors, it is set in the design language of the entire complex. Ornaments adorn the windows and doors of the building. There is space for an event location and a kiosk and the gastronomic offer invites visitors to take a short break before they discover the rest of the enclosure. In addition to the multi-functional building, the village also has a hay store and a feed kitchen. The shelters of the typical Asian pets such as sheep, goats, chickens and pigs are lined with wooden facades. A special focus is placed on the outdoor enclosure: here, young as well as grown up visitors can not only observe the animals but also touch them like in a petting zoo and experience a close proximity. Moreover, a small rice field has also been integrated into the complex to create an authentic image of real Indian village life. The path leads us further to the hoofed animal realm. House yaks and Bactrian camels live in a mixed species exhibit with places for sand bathing and open shelters for the animals. In order to continue the design language of the village in the hoofed animal enclosure, wooden slabs are used for the shelters what creates the impression of being handmade. A separate exhibit is built for the Mesopotamian fallow deer. Here, a special wedding corridor is planned for the stable of the animals. The whole area integrates old and new trees. Together, the exhibits contribute to the formation of a continental focal point within the Wilhelma Stuttgart that highlights the regional characteristics of the Asian habitat and enables visitors to experience species protection at first hand. “The greatest challenge for species protection today is the rapidly growing world population and its increasing consumption of resources. As a result, more and more conflicts between humans and animals are arising around the world since the habitats increasingly overlap. This is what we want to show with our pedagogical zoo concept”, says Wilhelma Director Dr. Thomas Köplin. The construction work on the hoofed animal facility has already begun, so that the first animals will be able to move in in the spring of 2020.
Copyright: Wilhelma Stuttgart
Client: Wilhelma Stuttgart
Project: Wilhelma Stuttgart Asian Enclosure
Services: Architecture and landscape architecture (work stages 1-3 HOAI)
Planning Time: December 2018 – September 2020
Construction Period: –
Opening: 2021
Overall planning area: 3ha
Building foot print: 365m²
Gross Volume: 1350 m³
Construction Costs: 455.000 €
