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Chester Zoo / 2015 / Project Detail

Chester Zoo

700 m² of rockwork for the elephant habitat in the Islands zone's Asian rainforest.

Overview

700 m² of rockwork for the elephant habitat in the Islands zone's Asian rainforest.

Place
Cheshire, England
Company
Pangea Rocks
Role
Master in Artificial Rock Work
Year
2015
Project Brief

Islands: Zoo Habitat, Cheshire, England.

  • 700 m²
    Rockwork
  • 2015
    Built
The Challenge

Make it read as real

A zoo habitat has to read as natural rock, reef or carved stone up close, and still meet the structure, safety and schedule demands of a live build.

The Solution

Shaped and finished by hand

Scope on this project: elephant habitat, rockwork and rainforest. Delivered as Master in Artificial Rock Work with Pangea Rocks.

The Outcome

A finished zoo habitat at Chester Zoo, Cheshire, England.

Key Features

01

Elephant Habitat

Rockwork for an elephant enclosure, built to be robust and natural.

02

Rockwork

Artificial rock surfaces shaped and textured to read as natural stone at close range.

03

Rainforest

Theming that sets a habitat in a rainforest landscape.

Visual Gallery

10 photos

More from the build

Process

Typical build sequence for themed rockwork

  1. Design

    Forms, levels and colour references agreed from the concept or 3D design before work starts.

  2. Armature

    Steel bent and fixed to carry the final shape, with mesh tied over it as the base for the surface.

  3. Shotcrete

    Sprayed concrete built up over the mesh in layers to form the rock shell.

  4. Carving

    Texture, strata and cracks cut by hand while the surface is still workable.

  5. Paint

    Base coats, washes and dry brushing, worked until the surface reads as real.

Methods

Materials & Methods

Every build stands on its methods. These are the disciplines this project called on, from structure to final finish.

Core Layer
Foundation / Primary discipline

Elephant Habitat

Rockwork for an elephant enclosure, built to be robust and natural.

Role on siteMaster in Artificial Rock Work
Scope
03

Disciplines on this build

Year
2015

Project year

Team
PR

Pangea Rocks

  • L02
    Capability

    Rockwork

    Artificial rock surfaces shaped and textured to read as natural stone at close range.

    ScopeIncluded
  • L03
    Finish

    Rainforest

    Theming that sets a habitat in a rainforest landscape.

    ScopeIncluded