CONSTRUCTION BEGINS ON ROCKHAMPTON ZOO VISITOR HUB

The $7.5 million project, designed by Cox Architecture with local collaborators Design and Architecture, will create a new visitor entrance and public amenities block, accessible from within the zoo as well as the broader Rockhampton Botanic Gardens.

Rockhampton Region Parks, Sport and Public Places Councillor Cherie Rutherford said, “The driver behind this project was to formalise the entrance to the zoo and create a central visitor hub that serves not only the zoo, but also the Botanic Gardens.”

The new building will accommodate a series of enclosures for the zoo’s native and exotic reptiles, as well as a gathering space, plaza, and a wildlife viewing verandah, thanks to the deep overhang in the building’s design. A screen that takes inspiration from the nearby Hugo Lassern Fernery in the Rockhampton Botanic Gardens will also feature.

“The entry establishes a new circulation route through the zoo that supports development of new exhibits, equitable grade pathways, and shade and pause points," explains Rutherford. With a simple extruded form at the intersection of the zoo and the garden, the new entry will culminate in a more dramatic entry.

The new entry will be relocated to the southern end of the zoo. A shared pedestrian and slow vehicle zone will replace some of the existing on-street car parking, as will the addition of further amenities.

The project is expected to be completed in June 2024