Basic Site Details

Name: Picnic Shelter
City or county: Edinburgh
Country: Scotland
Parish:  
Status:  
Grid ref:
Notes: Largely built by youth trainees from Telford College.

Pavers infront of the shelter incorporate a pattern based on the DNA spiral, devised by the landscape architect (unknown?).

Building Type Classification

The building is classified under the following categories:
 ClassificationOriginal classification?Notes
Item 1 of 1ShelterYes 

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 1Smith Scott Mullan A1995(?)1996 

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

Periodical References

The following periodicals contain references to this building:
 Periodical NameDateEditionPublisherNotes
Item 1 of 1Architects Journal16 May 1996  p37