My final-year project is for a tropical monkey-house in what is at present the car park of Artis Zoo in Amsterdam. Together with the newly realized African Savanna, it occupies a strip 600 metres long and 65 metres wide. By slightly rearranging the Savanna internally, the strip builds up from steppe by way of savanna to tropical rainforest. Three major paths slice through the area. Doklaan provides a place to stroll surrounded by trees. The Adventurous Route gives you the feeling of actually being in there with the animals. The Boulevard runs along the canal to slowly rise at the restaurant to a height of four metres. Below, at ground level, the city is drawn into the zoo.

The monkey-house is designed in attunement with the biological build-up of the tropical rainforest. The cages are stacked, with the walkways at different levels so that visitors can observe the animals from all angles. Visitors wander around outside, surrounded by different animal species from one biotope. The interaction between people and animals is key to the lay-out of the building. Children and adults can climb with the monkeys. Human physical skills can be tested against those of the other primates. Playing, learning and watching gel into one exciting experience. The shape of the cages relate to the extent and nature of the movement required by the species they house. For example, it is in the spider monkey's nature to keep swinging in the same direction rather than stop and turn round, and its oval-shaped cage permits this behaviour. Different species are placed together in a single large space, which keeps the animals in a lively state and gives them a bigger home. The little macaque can slip through the bars of its own cage into that of the large orang-utan. Plants atop the glass roof play a game with light and shadow and strengthen the feeling of being in an outdoor space.

Armed with this new attraction, Artis is able to compete again with the other major zoos of the world.

Place of education: TU Delft
Specialization: architecture
Tutors: Evert Kleijer, John Westrik & Leendert Verboom