Panda House

Baxter Studio were commissioned to design a new panda house and enclosure for Edinburgh Zoo’s giant pandas, Yang Guang and Tian Tian, when zookeepers decided to relocate them to avoid disturbance from a development site near the zoo. The site is a fantastic natural setting towards the top of the steeply sloping zoo and the new indoor areas create a comfortable and stimulating environment for the pandas while allowing the public to look in. The pandas have been a very popular attraction at the zoo so the design allows for queues, and guides people around the bamboo-clad concrete buildings. As with all sites at Edinburgh Zoo, the steep slope had to be allowed for in the design.