Snowdon Aviary (London, UK)

Snowdon Aviary
The Snowdon Aviary was a first of its kind. This pavilion space was inspired by birds and their "graceful" movements. At a time of British Architectural innovation and vision, the idea of the aviary came along during the Festival of Britain. Located along the Regent's Canal, it is basically an aluminum cage with netting to keep the birds from flying away. It was gauged as a pavilion style establishment and an architectural experiment. Designed by Cedric Price, Frank Newby and Anthony Armstrong-Jones, it was built in 1962 and was dedicated to Lord Snowdon.




It was one of the earlier explorations into tensile frame construction. Nothing had ever been experimented with steel frame like the Aviary. The idea was to establish enclosure by not enclosing. This was a challenge for the designers as the idea of preserving a fragile space while being able to contain, immediately resulted in a building that left a footprint. In order to combat the idea of "using space to build space", steel frame was explored. The design conflict of hardscape was transformed by a transformation of how space should be depicted. Solid walls would be eliminated and boundaries extinguished. The removal of solidity obviously led to a necessity for a system of envelope. This exploration nodded towards steel which then was accompanied by the need of containment which then translated to the wire mesh. This also helped with the idea that observing birds in their natural habitat should not be contested by built walls or structures that engulf the visuals. This sort of thinking paved the way for steel to be looked as a transparent construction method.



Three-sided triangle geometries created a conglomerate tetrahedron, all supported by cables and aluminum connections. With a concrete foundation, the steel structure is a demonstration of constant tensile and shear forces. The cantilevered ends form angled walkways and handrails within serve as a perch for the birds. Ledges, terraces, and retaining walls scattered along the ground provide nesting & feeding areas for the birds. With a maximum height of 80-ft and length of 150-ft, the nature of the space seems as though it is invading the area but in reality performs efficiently due to its hollow frame construction. As it is immediately surrounded by vegetation on all sides, its footprint was an important part of its design. The illusion of transparency aided the design to be harmonious with nature. The Aviary being such an amazing accomplishment became an official landmark.


Citations:

Snowdon Aviary, London Zoo, Conservations Wiki - Designing Buildings Co. , Sept. 14, 2017

Snowdon Aviary, ZSL - London Zoo Exhibits



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