FAST students design a new home for polar bears in Brno

Zoo Brno, in collaboration with the Institute of Architecture at the Faculty of Civil Engineering Brno University of Technology, has prepared a unique exhibition of student projects showcasing designs for a new polar bear exhibit at the Zoo Brno. Visitors to the exhibition will see the most interesting projects, including 3D models, and learn about the situation of polar bears in the wild as well as the exceptional breeding of five cubs in Brno.

The current polar bear exhibit at Zoo Brno will undergo reconstruction and significant expansion this year. However, in the future, a completely new exhibit could be built. Thanks to the cooperation between Zoo Brno and the Institute of Architecture at FCE BUT, students had the opportunity to apply their future profession in practice. As part of their studies, they created several fascinating architectural designs illustrating how a modern polar bear exhibit could look according to current standards.

“Zoos serve not only as places for public recreation but also as centers for nature and planetary conservation and as educational institutions. This is one of the reasons why the idea of involving architecture students in the conceptual plans of Zoo Brno was born. Thanks to this collaboration, many student projects have been created over the years, offering ideas for development, modernization, and improvement of exhibit spaces in the zoo while considering energy efficiency, water management, the needs of the animals, and contemporary zoo trends,” said Radana Dungelová, director of Brno Zoo.

“The cooperation between our institutions is mutually beneficial. The zoo receives fresh and innovative designs from a new generation of students—ideas that conventional architectural firms might not even consider, and these can serve as a basis for its development. On the other hand, for students, this is an excellent opportunity to work on a real-world project with all the aspects of their future profession,” said Viktor Svojanovský from Brno University of Technology.

The exhibition of the most interesting student projects, including 3D models, will be open to visitors from February 20 to March 28 at the Urban Center in Brno’s Old Town Hall. Visitors will also learn about the current state of polar bears in the wild, the threats they face, conservation efforts, and how the public can contribute to the return of polar bear breeding at Zoo Brno. The exhibition will also feature a thematic program, including lectures with notable guests every Thursday. Speakers will include for example traveler, photographer, and polar bear observer Štefan Kardoš, as well as Jaroslav Jasínek, a polar bear keeper at Brno Zoo.

The polar bear is an iconic animal of Zoo Brno. It is the only zoo in Europe to have successfully bred five cubs naturally in the past. In the future, Zoo Brno aims to build on this success and continue contributing to the global conservation program for these ambassadors of critically endangered species. To ensure the survival of polar bears in the wild, it is essential to establish a sufficiently strong population in zoos.

Source of the press release: Zoo Brno