点击中文

PGAV Destinations as Architect & Exhibit Designer of World’s Newest Polar Bear Habitat

A concept rendering of a polar bear swimming underwater at McDonnell Polar Bear Point at the Saint Louis Zoo

PGAV Destinations as Architect & Exhibit Designer of World’s Newest Polar Bear Habitat

Ground breaks this week at the Saint Louis Zoo

(St. Louis, MO – September 3, 2013) – PGAV Destinations has been announced as the architect and exhibit designers for the Saint Louis Zoo’s new $15 million McDonnell Polar Bear Point (exhibit animation VIDEO).

Construction will begin Tuesday, September 3, 2013 at the Zoo while Penguin & Puffin Coast (VIDEO), also designed by PGAV Destinations, will be temporarily closed until 2015 when the new polar bear habitat will be completed.

“It’s thrilling to be working with the Saint Louis Zoo on what will yet again be an excellent project,” says PGAV Destinations VP John Kemper. “The Zoo will premiere a state-of-the-art habitat that enhances a beloved historic exhibit, featuring dynamic experiences like witnessing a polar bear swim underwater!”

The new attraction will cover more than 7,000 square feet and feature up to five polar bears including a walk-through cave that will provide exciting up-close opportunities for guests to view polar bears above and below water. Visitors will be able to watch the progress of the construction through convenient “portholes” around the site.

PGAV Destinations’ most recent project with the Saint Louis Zoo is award-winning Sea Lion Sound (VIDEO), which Dana Brown President & CEO Jeffrey P. Bonner, Ph.D. cited as a key component of the Zoo’s record attendance in 2012.

The destination design and consulting firm is a nationally –recognized expert for one of the most popular animal attractions – polar bears. The PGAV Destinations-designed Glacier Run at the Louisville Zoo won the Association of Zoos & Aquariums’ top design award in 2012. The immersive exhibit recreates a Churchill, Alaska-like outpost on the fringe of the arctic wilderness, providing a number of unique and exciting ways for guests to engage with polar bears, seals, sea lions, and grizzly bears.

REC_W_626__MG_6197c

PGAV Destinations-designed Great Bear Wilderness opened at the Brookfield Zoo in Chicago in 2010, a 7.5-acre expanse which features the cultural significance, history, and survival challenges of polar bears. The zoo’s largest exhibit ever undertaken, Great Bear Wilderness also incorporates grizzly bears, bison, eagles, and Mexican gray wolves.

Polar Bear Passage (VIDEO) opened at the Kansas City Zoo in 2010, also designed by PGAV Destinations. Full of recreated glaciers, interactive exhibits, and above-and-below water viewing, this 10,000 sq. ft. habitat is home to seven-year-old Nikita, born at the Toledo Zoo and named after a Russian polar bear researcher.

Back Camera

PGAV Destinations was also involved in SeaWorld’s Wild Arctic attraction in both Orlando and San Diego, each featuring polar bears. Guests have the opportunity to participate in a rich media attraction in which they board the White Thunder helicopter and experience an adventure in the Arctic including animal tracking and winter storms. After the ride, guests explore the habitats of polar bears, beluga whales, and walruses, and learn about the plight of their valuable Arctic ecosystem.

PGAV Destinations Media Contact: Ben Cober, (314) 231-7318

Saint Louis Zoo Media Contact: Susan Gallagher, (314) 646-4633

For more information, please visit the Saint Louis Zoo’s Press Room.

About PGAV Destinations

PGAV Destinations is a global leader in the planning and design of unique destinations. Now in its fifth decade, the practice has evolved to become the ideal destination-consulting partner, skilled at developing growth-oriented master plans and translating those plans into successful projects. No other firm offers such an integrated approach to destination planning.

PGAV’s key clients include industry leaders such as Delaware North Companies, SeaWorld Parks and Entertainment, the Biltmore Companies, Bass Pro Shops, Ameristar Casinos, Universal Studios, The Gettysburg Foundation, the Saint Louis Zoo, and many others. Recent assignments include planning and design at many of the world’s “must see” destinations, including the Grand Canyon, Biltmore Estate, NASA’s Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex, Hearst Castle, the Georgia Aquarium, the Hoover Dam, and SeaWorld Adventure Parks. www.PGAVDestinations.com

About the Saint Louis Zoo

Named America’s #1 Zoo by Zagat Survey and Parenting Magazine, the Saint Louis Zoo is widely recognized for its innovative approaches to animal management, wildlife conservation, research and education. One of the few free zoos in the nation, it attracts about 3,000,000 visitors a year. http://www.stlzoo.org/

Share Button