Auckland Zoo – Ngā Repo (The Wetlands) – Te Wao Nui
| Client: | Auckland Zoo |
| Function: | Stadium Screening |
| Fabric: | Flexfacade 2D Cladding Screen |
Te Wao Nui’s The Wetlands recreates one of these special habitats. A towering waterfall cascades down the rock face, flowing into a pool that is home to many of our unique wading birds. Plant species, instantly recognisable to many will also feature here; from flax to manuka to kahikatea and the cabbage tree (tï köuka).
The 8m rock wall with large boulders, a waterfall and pool replicates a scene from the far North Island wetlands. This rock face is made from Gunite Dricon (dry concrete). Each plant has its own planting pocket and drainage hole. To be able to weed this area, staff have to abseil the rock face. The waterfall pours out 42l of water per second. The structural support for this wall, which supports several tonnes of themed gunite, is a braced timber pole structure.
The pool contains swamp kauri, sourced from Waitakere City Council. It has been piled either side of the waterfall to contain some of the splash and the overflow stream.
Fabric Structures has become proficient in the mesh for zoo enclosures and bird aviaries, and like many of the other projects we have worked in conjunction with Auckland Zoo, oversaw the design, fabrication, and installation of our metal mesh structure.
-References courtesy of Auckland Zoo
