DHRotterdam Zoo--New Giraffe House

After a decision was reached to have a new Giraffe House built at the Rotterdam Zoo, as the old one was deemed unsuitable,(it had to be a husbandry issue, because it sure wasn't because it was ugly.) the firm LAM Architects was contracted, and this is what modern man produced with a sweep of a graphite drawing pencil. What makes it real bad is that historically zoological design tends to copy the "flavor of the day," and someone may repeat this eyesore. I am reminded of what Noel Coward said, when asked if he had ever seen a Giraffe, "I saw on in the Bush once, it certainly put the willies up me," because this building does the same thing to me. In 46BC when the first Giraffe was exhibited in Europe by Julies Caesar, man was stunned into silence upon seeing it. LAM Associates has brilliantly replicated that emotion with their "Savanna House."

The Giraffe herd at the Rotterdam Zoo has voted unanimously to award LAM Architect, The First Annual Berthold Lubecktin "your shitting me, right?" Award for Zoological Architectural Excellence for setting immersion design back 1oo years, and for coining the brilliant term "cuddle walls."

Lam Architects: Savannah House

Sustainable shelter & healthy indoor climate

The accommodation for the giraffe is designed as a “shelter”, of which the archetype of the African coral has served as the model. The design provides a comfortable place for the animals. It also gives them more living space, for the giraffes are free and can go in and out as the please. To create a sustainable building with a good indoor climate, the design takes into account the natural elements: sun, wind and rain.

As the man who the Annual Berthold Lubecktin "your shitting me, right?" Award for Zoological Architectural Excellence was inspired by was quoted, "A society that openly professes that the present is expendable and the future unintelligible begats artists who have to scream to be noticed and remembered for a quarter of an hour.," I too would like to congratulate the LAM Architect group for their win of the award.