Gorilla Mixed Habitat

Wroclaw, Poland

The Design Response

The layout was built around movement, topography, and sensory variation — approached through a neuroarchitecture lens to shape how both animals and visitors experience the space. Terrain changes create natural microclimates across the site — shade, humidity, temperature — giving animals genuine agency and environmental choice throughout the day. A water feature doubles as a separation tool: flexible enough to isolate individuals or open the space entirely. A bridge over it becomes a moment of discovery for visitors.

Viewing points at different heights and angles mean no two moments feel the same. Inside, gorillas climb, smaller monkeys have safe escape routes, and multiple interconnected bedrooms give every animal the ability to choose. The reptile house, aviary, and aquarium extend the African ecosystem narrative — from open savanna to forest to riverbank. Built-in enrichment supports mental stimulation across all species.

The Animal Brief

Gorillas, bongos, sitatungas, mangabeys, and guenons sharing one landscape. Inside: a gaboon viper, ball python, sawtail lizard, frogs, invertebrates, an aviary, and freshwater African fish. One of the most species-rich briefs in animal architecture — a world that had to work for every inhabitant simultaneously.

The Challenge

A tender project — a full new design from scratch. The gorilla, as the star animal, needed dedicated space and true agency. Other species had to coexist, separate, and reconnect as needed. And the whole experience had to draw visitors through a sequence — outdoor, indoor, back out — that felt organic and deeply connected to the natural world.

The Outcome

A habitat where complexity becomes clarity. Every species has what it needs. Keepers have flexibility without losing control. Visitors move through a landscape that shifts around them — and stay with them long after they leave.