California Trail at the Oakland Zoo, USA Leisure Park, Visitors Centre, Architecture Images
California Trail at the Oakland Zoo
New California Commercial Building, USA ? design by Noll & Tam Architects
Jun 11, 2019
California Trail at the Oakland Zoo
Design: Noll & Tam Architects
Location: Oakland, Northern California, USA

Gondola Views and Up-Close Encounters with Native California Species

The California Trail at the Oakland Zoo doubles the size of the zoo complex to roughly 100 acres and furthers the zoo?s mission of conservation, education and research with a focus on native Californian animals. More than 20 years in the making, the $72 million project was a culmination of community collaboration and the dogged perseverance of the Conservation Society of California. The project encompasses 26 structures spread across 50 acres of land, trails, as well as an aerial gondola sys-tem.
The design is centered around conservation and experience. The siting of the project was a key element of both. Located in Knowland Park, the design is strategically located to preserve the natural environ-ment and the existing oak trees: it is placed where it would have the lightest impact on the land. To further lessen that impact, instead of developing roads and parking lots to transport visitors to the Cali-fornia Trail, visitors, fly over the landscape in a gondola.

The gondola ride begins the immersive experience of the California Trail, that also affords views of the San ...