The new curvy pavilion by architectural firm Studio Gang is built of prefabricated wooden planks milled into parabolas and joined together at their ends. This has resulted in a loosely woven pattern, which arcs from one edge of the boardwalk over to the other.
The new boardwalk defining the pond passes through different educational zones, describing animals, plants and habitat. Two pavilions integrated into the boardwalk sequence provide shelter for open-air classrooms on the site. Inspired by the tortoise shell, the structure fits well into an aquatic habitat in a zoo and consists of a series of pre-fabricated pods inter-connected to give overall curvature to the surface.
The main objective behind this Nature Boardwalk project was to transform a concrete-edged, 19th-century pond into an urban oasis capable of sustaining wild plant and animal life. Plant shelves have also been created to filter run-off and create animal-habitat zones around the pond. Other improvements include pond rehabilitation, landscaping, accessible pathways, educational pavilions and exhibit design.
