Intimidating Inversion

The zoo pavilion not only houses animals but acts as a viewing device for the human voyeur. This complex relationship between animal as both an organism and an exhibit generates a specific set of rules for any zoo pavilion while leaving open a set of possibilities regarding architectural articulation, materiality, and form. 

In the case of the enclosure for the gelada, the lip rolling gesture of the animal is to intimidate its enemies. Therefore, the "intimidating inversion" is framed to be the essence of the animal and the position taken for the project. The idea remained central throughout the first three projects — an invertible bubble, which became the geometric transformation used to inform a pavilion.