Congo Gorilla Forest
Bronx, N.Y.
Helpern Architects

Jungle life is skillfully crafted to appear real in the Bronx

© Peter Mauss/Esto

For more photos click on 'photos & drawings' above. To see the people and products behind this project click on 'people & products.'

The Wildlife Conservation Society's Bronx Zoo, one of the largest zoos in the world, wanted to develop a new way to teach the public about gorillas and other animals of the central African rain forest, as well as inspire advocacy on behalf of these creatures and their imperiled native habitat. A new kind of exhibit was needed: a living museum that would put people right into the rain forest.

Congo Gorilla Forest breaks down barriers between the viewer and the viewed. The exhibit, designed by Helpern Architects and the Zoo's exhibit and curatorial staff, seamlessly merges structure with landscape —a 6.5-acre re-creation of the rain forest—to provide the public with a powerful educational and emotional experience.

Visitors enter a 43,800 square foot, two-story building disguised by a facade of man-made boulders and jungle vegetation. Galleries on the first floor combine views of the re-created Congo and its inhabitants with interactive displays to teach the lessons of preservation. In many spaces, people and gorillas come face to face, separated only by laminated glass. Panoramic, full-height windows provide breathtaking views into this world. On the second floor, a learning center combines educational programming with impressive above-ground views of the habitats.

Since opening in 1999, Congo Gorilla Forest has exceeded expectations for attendance and fundraising for conservation, and has spawned a new breed of zoo exhibits worldwide. With its success, the exhibit has become invaluable in the fight to save the central African rain forest and its inhabitants.

Formal name of building:
Congo Gorilla Forest and Environmental Education Center

Location:
Bronx, N.Y.

Gross square footage:
43,800 sq. ft.

Total construction cost:
$43 million

Owner:
Wildlife Conservation Society
www.wcs.org

Architect's firm:
Helpern Architects
23 East 4th Street
New York, NY 10003
212/505-2025
Fax 212/505-7187
www.helpern.com