Penguin Pool, London Zoo, London UK
Penguin Pool, built in 1934, is an iconic piece of modernist architecture in London. Designed by Russian architect Berthod Lubetkin (1901-1990), who was a co-founder of the radical British architecture firm, The Tecton Group, and one of the leaders in bringing modernism to Britain. Lubetkin collaborated with Ove Arup (1895-1988), a British structural engineer who, in his projects including the Sydney Opera House, demonstrated the expressive and structural potential of reinforced concrete. The Penguin Pool was one of several projects Lubetkin designed for the London Zoo, including the original Gorilla House which is also still extant.
While zoo design at the time was trending toward more naturalist settings, Lubetkin wanted to create an exhibit which fulfilled the penguins’ needs but he also envisioned the exhibit as a stage set: the black and white penguin parading across a starkly white and blue backdrop with curved walls designed to echo the penguin calls. Ultimately, the exhibit proved to be unsuitable for the penguins and they were relocated to a more hospitable environment in 2004. Both the Penguin Pool and Gorilla House are listed as Grade I and can be visited at the London Zoo in Regent Park.
