January 2010
Endangered species—Dudley Zoo’s Tectons on WMF
Watchlist
What is a ‘tecton’? Well may you ask. The term
has been adopted for the structures designed by emigré architect
Bernard Lubetkin’s practice Tecton—so far just the ones at Dudley
Zoo, but it may well spread. We are delighted to report that all
these Tectons have been added to the World Monuments Fund Watch List
for 2010 following an application by the Society. The series of
submissions over the summer would not have been possible without
a great amount of work by C20 volunteer David Attwood. It was
supported by many others, including zoo management and Lubetkin
biographer John Allan. This is not a ‘naming and shaming’ campaign,
but a welcome international recognition that puts Dudley on the same
list as Machu Picchu, and will hopefully lead to more visitors and
more funding.
The proposal to develop a zoo on the hillside
around Dudley Castle (a scheduled ancient monument dating from the
11th- 15th centuries) in the West Midlands originated in 1935. The
Dudley Zoological Society led by the Earl of Dudley was formed to
provide an open-air recreational attraction on his ancestral hill.
From contacts at London Zoo, where they had previously designed the
famous Penguin Pool, Berthold Lubetkin and Tecton were recommended as
architects. Three main problems faced Lubetkin, all of which he
overcame in the design. A need to complete all the buildings within
two years; the need to conserve the setting of the castle (Lubetkin
had to argue against the idea of building animal enclosures as mock
medieval castles and prove that modern buildings could be
harmonious); and lastly the immense technical problems presented by
the steeply sloping site which has a series of large caves
underneath. The results remain impressive: a series of loosely linked
building groups, linked by rings of pathways that spiral up the
hill to the castle—all designed in reinforced concrete with the
assistance of Danish engineer Ove Arup.
The matching of the buildings to the landscape
showed Lubetkin’s sensitivity to the site and in some cases (the
Bear Ravine the drama of the hillside was exploited with
spectacular consequences. Other key buildings include the Polar Bear
Pit, the Elephant House and the Aviary (which now houses lions) and
the entrance pavilion, with its elegantly curved roof-forms. The
completed site had great uniformity—a modernist city for animals
in the heart of the Black Country. For many years now the Society,
very often with the support of John Allan— whose firm Avanti drew up
a feasibility study for the restoration and reuse of the buildings in
1990—has been fighting for the protection of the precious
architectural legacy at Dudley Zoo. Many of the animal enclosures and
charming modernist kiosks are highly graded listed structures. The zoo
is still fully operational and the Tecton buildings need regular
maintenance and deserve to be put to good use.
The most difficult issue has been how best to
preserve and utilise those enclosures which can no longer be used for
the purposes for which they were originally constructed. The Bear
Ravine and Polar Bear Pit have been particularly problematic. Both
were constructed as viewing platforms from which people could look
down onto the animals below. However it is now thought that
looking down on animals is stressful for them— a mirror of how they
feel if a predator has the higher ground. This means
sensitive adaptation or—in the case of the Polar Bear Pit—perhaps a
Tecton/Lubetkin exhibit that will allow a bear’s eye view of the
architecture.
The future, then, is looking brighter for the
site: a scheme that would have seen the zoo turned into a time-travelling
theme park with animals has fortunately been abandoned by developers,
and in its place a more rational and creative approach to how animals
use the enclosures has been adopted. The successful re-integration
of the aviary as part of the lion enclosure has shown that this can
be achieved. These changes will need to be managed carefully of
course, but creative re-use and sensitive adaption are the best
opportunity the buildings have of long-term survival. CEO Peter
Suddock is keen to develop the history of the Tecton structures as a
unique selling point: “Our aim is for the Tectons to become
internationally recognised which will help us to secure funding”.
One or two of the buildings are in a sadly
neglected state—particularly the Grade II* listed Bear Ravine—and
the kiosks can no longer be used for ice-cream sales due to health
and safety concerns, but all the buildings remain structurally sound.
Their technical conservation is another challenge facing the zoo, and
EH and C20 have been working closely in that regard. Our Director, an
expert in concrete repair, has been looking carefully at
the structural surveys for the buildings and as a result C20 is
forging a good working relationship with the zoo, who have long been
aware of the special legacy that they have. Dudley remains fully
operational, with a keen focus on endangered species and
conservation. The inclusion on the Watchlist, and the assistance that it
should bring for funding and awareness will hopefully mean the Tecton
structures at Dudley will not become extinct.
