Old photo do not do justice to the architectural genius of the buildings comprising the Antwerp zoo like modern photo's below.
Thursday, February 23, 2012
Vintage Antwerp Zoo--Restaurant Next To The Entrance
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Wade G. Burck
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8 comments:
Wade i am always impressed with your collection of these zoo's pictures and information you always post. I am sure the Zoological Society can always check with you for zoo info !!!
Casey,
Zoo's, marine parks(the old ones, (not the newer Humpty Dumpty deals), animals, animal training and anything animal related, dogs and cats exclude, has always been a major passion of mine.
Zoo history is a particular interest to me, although I have to honestly admit, they have started to bore be the last 15-20 years. They have become almost all the same. The trend towards "theme park zoo's" almost make me gag. I haven't been to one in years, and now prefer to study where they came from, when they were unique onto themselves, and the architecture and grounds were as magnificent as the animals they housed.
I have a pot load, just a pot load of zoological lithographs/photo's in storage, at last count 127 guide books pre 1950, and box's and box's of other zoo memorabilia. Some day when I decide to sit still I will have a lot to keep me occupied.
Wade
We ate at a restaurant across the street from this building - you're right, it was McDonalds. We had dinner later at a Belgian restaurant after our Zoo tour. A cultural note: there was a sign near the entrance that explained McDonalds served pre-cooked food at a counter. (Just don't come in and sit down and expect service.)
I agree with your statement about modern zoo architecture, not too interesting. A Zoo like Antwerp didn't try to recreate the Pacific coast in a 10 gal. aquarium. It exhibited an interesting collection of well-cared for animals in attractive and unique enclosures. Some might question the size of the enclosures, more isn't always better or necessary. And as long as we're taking a shot at cookie-cutter architecture - what about cookie-cutter animal collections. Almost I've seen one, I've seen them all.
Jim,
I think as zoo's became more proficient at breeding and reproduction, the problem of surplus animals was the next quandary. A simple solution was to give a pair or a trio to a smaller zoo that didn't have that species represented. Great PR for the receiving zoo, "Help us build a new home for Bobo," as well as the giving zoo, "The fruit's of our labor now going to Podunk." Maybe we are jaded and to the person who only see's the one zoo in their community, theirs is unique and the "best of the best." Kinda like the circus fan who only see's the same show in their town each year. We on the other hand, like a fan who see's many show's are going to be more of a hard sell, given a broader base of examples and institutions viewed.
Wade
If I so could, since it is up for private ownership, I would buy Toronto Zoo and renovate their pavilions and large animal holdings (for the Indian rhino, etc) up into a classier design. I truly love these older buildings. So classy.
Megan,
The uniqueness, I feel of Toronto Zoo's pavilions, while granted not the most aesthetically pleasing, unless you are also into Warhal, who was quoted, “Art is what you can get away with” soup cans, was that they stayed with a geographic grouping in each of the pavilions, and each pavilion has the same look as back in the day when the same architect designed all the buildings in a zoo.
If we could partner up, I would like to see a few Sybold van Ravesteyn's interspersed among the pavilions, with one or two Wilhelm Bockmann/Hermann Ende's. A Berthold Lubektin might be a possibility, but that's a small possibly. It would depend on whether we could find a place to isolate it or put it off by it's self. I would compromise on one or two Decimus Burton's, but we would have a real fight if you insisted on a Lord Snowdon/Frank Newby/Cedric Price or a Hugh Casson/Neville Condor deal. It seems every time a Brit collaborates, instead of working on their own, it turns to pudding, a. :)
A designer has to be capable of creating structures that "fit" the zoo perfectly, the corresponding animals, and the landscape. Toronto's geographical pyramid's, for all their smoke and mirror's kinda fit's that bill.
Wade
The AZA's SSP and PMP programs are probably responsible for the homoginization of zoos. I was part of the marine mammal TAG that limited the number of species that we work with. We stuck with what bred well and we wouldn't need to depend on collecting anymore animals from the wild. I understand it makes sense for many good reasons but I'd like to see South American sea lions - won't happen. (If you want to see one check out Marco Peters' traveling sea lion show.) You will see Califonia sea lions, harbor seals, and/or walrus in zoos big and small.
Your mention of big zoos sharing with smaller zoos reminded me of a zoo classic. Robert Bean of the Brookfield Zoo had a large breeding group of sitatunga antelope. In his day zoo meetings would have animal swap sessions. Mr. Bean would offer male sitatungas for $250 but females went for $1,250. Bean would generously offer small zoos with no money male sitatungas knowing they couldn't afford a female. Of course he was also famous for selling a pair of Siberian tigers (unusual in collections at the time) to the Dallas Zoo that turned out to be two males. When Dallas complained they received two males and not a pair, Bean replied "two's a pair". These stories are over 50 years old, and maybe not totally accurate (but amusing). I'm sure today's zoo business is more ethical and science based - but it was fun in the good old days.
Jim,
Priceless memories once again. Thank you for sharing. We shouldn't have to alibi for the past, or avoid it and sweep it under the rug. It was what it was, we learned, we changed, we improved. No shame in that, only pride. Like the insane bullhook/ankus/elephant guide nonsense, I bet the feel good world would gag and spit up on it's shirt if they knew Lou used to refer to it affectionately as a "stunt club." LOL
Wade
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