New Lion Terraces

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Scope note(s)

  • The New Lion Terraces displaced Anthony Salvin Junior's Lion House of 1875-77 and the Cattle Sheds of 1869 which, from 1967, had included Chi-Chi's Giant Panda Enclosure. It came in the 150th anniversary year of the foundation of the Zoological Society of London and was the final component of the post-war reconstruction programme. The terraces are a rambling complex covering two acres of largely open space. The buildings are deliberately obscured in favour of landscaping that was intended as an improvement in the display and welfare of the animals, an approach that relied on the precedent of the lion and tiger exhibits at Whipsnade. It was built 1972-76, funding from Government and Sir Charles Clore; brief by D M R Brambell, Curator of Mammals; John Toovey, Colin Wears and Roger Balkwill, architects; Margaret Maxwell, landscape architect; R T James and partners, engineers; J Jarvis and Sons Limited, building contractors. It cost £666,232. Sculpture enrichments include a finely lettered slate dedicatory plaque designed by Banks and Miles and cut by David Kindersley. Another stone inscribed 'The Lions House' was taken from above the entrance of the 1875-77 Lion House (the 'S' is a 1970's insertion). A large lion mask was similarly resited and there is a cast lion's head presented by its sculptor, William Timyn, in 1976.

Source note(s)

  • The Buildings of London Zoo

Display note(s)

    Hierarchical terms

    New Lion Terraces

    New Lion Terraces

      Equivalent terms

      New Lion Terraces

        Associated terms

        New Lion Terraces

          2 Archival description results for New Lion Terraces

          Only results directly related
          Plans of Old Lion House
          Plans of Old Lion House
          ARC/1/1 · File · 1975
          Part of Architecture and buildings

          2 large prints of the survey of the old lion house, originally designed by Antony Salvin Jr (1875-7) which was replaced by the New Lion Terraces in 1976