Ragunan Zoo Reborn | November 2019
Since it opened officially in 1966, Ragunan Zoo has been a popular attraction for Jakarta’s citizens. It provides a nature-based recreational and educational area. Spread over 147 ha, it is one of the largest zoos in the World and plays an important role as a green open space providing a green buffer for the lower areas of the City of Jakarta.
Due to its strategic importance, the Government of Jakarta held a Design Competition with the aim of revitalising the Zoo to enhance its facilities towards the creation of a World class zoo which will take pride of place in the City. The Competition required each participant to present ideas, not only in relation to the design aspects, but also in relation to various integrated aspects of zoo management, including animal conservation, ecology, landscape, transportation, graphics and financial feasibility to ensure that the Zoo is sustainable in the long term.
TOWNLAND enthusiastically participated in the Competition and collaborated with various specialists in developing a design focused on conservation, education and people. Our Design was selected as one of the top six finalists and we were given the opportunity to present our ideas and concepts to the Jury and to the Governor of Jakarta at the final stage. Even though not selected as the Winner, we are pleased to have been selected as a Finalist out of more than 40 teams who submitted entries for the Competition.
Our design focused on a holistic approach which establishes an Integrated Wildlife Habitat and City Park with a rich diversity and mix of vibrant uses which will improve the quality of life for animals and plants, will provide for a variety of open space functions for Jakarta’s Residents and will contribute to flood control in the City. Creating a recreation area which can educate Visitors was the fundamental driving concept of our design, which was based on five key principles as follows:
- Integrated Accessibility: the design improves accessibility for Visitors entering the Zoo through the introduction of an integrated public transportation system which easily connects the City to the Zoo. Upon arrival via a variety of transport modes, Visitors enter a dedicated Transit Plaza, which then connects to a Transitional Zone at the Zoo entrance and on to a system of clear pedestrian wayfinding within the Zoo area itself.
- An Eco-Conscious Plan: the design provides an integrated water, energy and waste management system and also promotes the upgrading of existing water bodies around the Zoo in a natural fashion and as an attraction in themselves.
- Activity Segregation: the design differentiates the Zoo into two main Zones and activity programmes: a Human Zone which features a Public Park Area and an Animal Zone which contains the various fauna exhibits of the Zoo.
- A Compact Wildlife Habitat Footprint: the design establishes a series of compact animal conservation areas to improve the efficiency of the Zoo management and to optimize the Visitors’ experience.
- Natural Biodiversity Habitats: five Zones are established across the Zoo focusing on the Bio-Geographical Habitats of Indonesian Wildlife. These include a Sundaland Zone, a Wallaceae Zone, a Sahul Zone, a Loka Zone (non-specific Indonesian Wildlife Zone) and a Schmutzer Zone (Primate Zone), creating an interesting variety of attractions for Visitors.