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Como Park Main Zoological Building

The original WPA-era Zoological Building at the Como Zoo has been remodeled into 9,000 SF of administrative offices for Como Zoo and Conservatory staff. This eliminates the temporary trailers on the site, which have been used for many years to serve administrative office needs. The 11,000 SF basement has become much needed storage space for the Como Campus.
The new plan respects the original plan layout with former animal cages becoming private offices and common work areas, and the former public viewing spaces becoming open office areas. The original central lobby remains a public space containing a modest exhibit related to the history of the Como Zoo and Conservatory.
Remodeling and adapting the Zoological Building for office use allowed the fundamental character of the building to remain intact. The demands of modern high tech exhibits would have required complex mechanical systems and area needs that could have overwhelmed the character of this small building.
The exterior of the building was cleaned and repairs to the existing stone, including installation of a new corner stone, were made. Existing light fixtures with silhouettes of monkeys and giraffes were renovated and reinstalled. New rooftop skylights were installed, replacing old boarded up skylights, allowing light to again flood the interior. The original animal cage doors allowing passage from interior cages to exterior cages were replaced with operable windows. Exterior animal cages were left in place where they were still intact.
A raised office floor was installed in the central portion of each office wing to raise this area to the level of the original cages and provide functional coherent office floor plates. The interior glazed brick was cleaned, patched and left exposed. Many remnants of the original interior cages were retained as reminders of the building's original use.
Indeed, careful examination reveals notches worn into the original wood skylight well framing where ropes were attached for monkey swings.