Basic Site Details

Name: Scottish National Zoological Park, Tropical Bird and Reptile House
Town, district or village: Corstorphine
City or county: Edinburgh
Country: Scotland
Parish:  
Status:  
Grid ref:
Notes:  

Alternative Names

The following alternative names are associated with this building/design:
 NameCurrent name?Notes
Item 1 of 1Edinburgh Zoo, …Yes 

Street Addresses

The following street addresses are associated with this building:
 AddressMain entrance?Notes
Item 1 of 1Corstorphine RoadYes 

Events

The following date-based events are associated with this building:
 FromToEvent typeNotes
Item 1 of 11925   

People

Design and Construction

The following individuals or organisations have carried out design/construction work. Where architects or practices worked together, matching letters appear beside their names in the Partnership Group column.
 NameRolePartnership GroupFromToNotes
Item 1 of 1(Sir) Frank Charles Mears  1925  

Related Buildings, Structures and Designs

Parent Structure and Site

This structure is related to the following parent structure or site (click the item to view details):
 Building nameNotes
Item 1 of 1Scottish National Zoological ParkThe Royal Zoological Society of Scotland was founded in 1909 by Thomas Gillespie, an Edinburgh lawyer. Within four years the Society has sufficient support and funding to purchase an 85 acre site to the west of Edinburgh, for £17,000, with assistance from Edinburgh City Council. Gillespie took for his model the so-called 'open zoo' at Hamburg, designed by Carl Hagenbeck. Instead of bars and cages, Edinburgh Zoo was designed from the outset to have large, open enclosures, using ditches and moats to separate the animals from the visitors.

By April 1913 Patrick Geddes, and his son-in-law Frank Mears had prepared a Report and preliminary plans for laying out the zoological gardens, and work on construction of the pools for polar bears and seals, aviaries, and enclosures for wolves, monkeys bars and lions was commenced immediately. Edinburgh Zoo was opened to the public on 22 July 1913, and was incorporated by Royal Charter later that year.

References

Bibliographic References

The following books contain references to this building:
 Author(s)DateTitlePartPublisherNotes
Item 1 of 1Gifford, John, McWilliam, Colin and Walker, David M1984Edinburgh (The Buildings of Scotland) Harmondsworth: Penguin Books Ltdp527

Archive References

The following archives hold material relating to this building:
 SourceArchive nameSource catalogue no.Notes
Item 1 of 1RIBA Archive, Victoria & Albert MuseumRIBA Nomination Papers Frank Charles Mears: F no2513 (box 7)