Swiss architects go wild over zoo design

Designing spaces for wild animals is not what most architects have in mind when entering the profession. But the creative Swiss are embracing the challenge to make lions, elephants and sea creatures feel at home. Markus Schietsch clearly remembers his first encounter with a wild bull elephant. He was in the back of an open pickup truck when the elephant repeatedly mock charged the vehicle in the Kaeng Krachan national park in Thailand. The adrenalin-packed experience was courtesy of a study trip organised by the Zurich zoo, as the Zurich based-architect had just won a CHF57 million ($56.7 million) contract to build their new Kaeng Krachan elephant house.  “The visit was to help me understand more about the role of zoos today,” the boyish-looking 40-year-old told swissinfo.ch. “You can still be critical about zoos but they are very important to generate an awareness about conservation problems outside Europe.”  He was thrilled to win the elephant house commission, ...