Lincoln Park Zoo
Builder / General Contractor
Pepper Construction
Glazier
SG Glass & Metal
Lion House at Lincoln Park Zoo
Safety and visibility are key components during remodeling of the Lion House at the Lincoln Park Zoo in Chicago. Keeping lions and park visitors separate was understandably important, so high tech transparent barriers including jumbo glass ranging in size from 108” x 177” to 112” X 145” were incorporated into the plans. When tasked with the remodel including supply and installation, SG Metal & Glass reached out to AGNORA for these immense and thick laminates.
Background
The Lincoln Park Zoo just announced commited $35 million to bring new, state-of-the-art habitats to the zoo. The iconic Kovler Lion House at the zoo required this makeover for both a better human and animal experience. The new, state-of-the-art updates create a more dynamic and involved environment for all participants.
The renovation will entail the following:
– Extension of the animal environments up to new glass viewing walls
– Removal of the sunken moat on the building’s north side
– Additional climbing areas
– Heating and cooling elements
– A “food zipline” that simulates the movement of live prey
The design comes from local architect, Goettsch Partners and Seattle based wildlife exhibit specialist PJA.
Creating a Safe Space
These oversize laminates were fabricated using 3 layers of 12mm (0.5″) Pilkington OptiWhite laminated together with 0.090″ Trosifol Clear PVB as interlayer. At almost 1.5″ in thickness and roughly 2500 lbs for the largest units, moving these into position at the site was no easy task. SG Metal & Glass expertly handled, installed and secured these lites with precision.
Photo credit Mark Ballogg
