Woodland Park Zoo
Seattle, WA
A lasting highlight of landscape immersion, this stunning 6-acre exhibit gives visitors a window into the natural behaviors of ten species from central Alaska, complemented by two immersive and thematic interpretive centers.
Design Framework Characteristics
Project Type
The award winning Northern Trail exhibit is an extraordinary six acre setting for the display and management of ten central Alaskan animal species. The exhibit is designed to permit visitors to witness natural animal behaviors, such as brown bears plunging for trout in a meltwater stream inches from view. These animals are viewed within the context of their natural habitat, reproduced through the careful selection of plant species representative of the region. Northern Trail also features the Taiga Interpretive Center which is nested under the exhibit and entered through a simulated avalanche landscape, and the Tundra Center which resembles a sod covered native Alaskan lodge and features a 70-foot curved mural depicting four seasons of the tundra.
Project Characteristics
- AZA Exhibit Award
- Landscapes simulate effects of northern land shaping such as fire or frost
- Integrated streams
- ”Borrowed landscapes” concept incorporating vistas outside nature
- Nose-to-nose underwater viewing
Legacy & Expertise Notes
Industry Insider
Considered by many professionals the finest zoo exhibit ever built
Technical Expertise
Borrowed landscapes create feelings of vast expanse