Modern car park with glass façade and vertical wood cladding, clean lines and transparent architecture in a winter setting

Car Parks at Zoo Leipzig

Entrance/exit of a multi-storey car park with a curved façade made of vertical wooden slats, striking design with natural materiality

Exterior area of a multi-storey car park with glass façade and adjacent wooden slatted construction with open access points and bicycle parking spaces

Functional buildings with a tactile envelope

Two structures, one shared goal: the car parks at Leipzig Zoo provide capacity for high visitor numbers and combine parking infrastructure with architectural quality. Designed as open multistorey garages, they offer more than 1,300 spaces and respond to the needs of a highly frequented public destination.

At a Glance

1,336 parking spaces across two independent structures

Bamboo as functional and architectural building envelope

Green roof areas for rainwater retention

Triple award‑winning for design and integration

Material as part of the visitor experience

Both car parks feature a continuous and identity‑defining bamboo façade. The material visually references the exotic world of the adventure zoo and lends the functional building type a tactile quality. The material choice demonstrates how functional structures can also be realised using resource‑efficient construction methods.

Integrated construction with short build time

The open multistorey garages were built using a steelframe structure. Several thousand storeyheight bamboo canes, each 10 centimetres thick, were mounted between the floors in aligned rows with uniform spacing. A regular structural grid enables a high degree of prefabrication and therefore shortens construction and assembly times. The bamboo façade also fulfils buildingphysics functions such as ventilation, sound protection, and fall protection, while creating a visual link to the zoo environment.

First construction phase: structure and function

The first building was completed in 2004. Designed as an open structure, it ensures efficient traffic flows and convenient circulation via ramps, staircases and lifts. The bamboo façade turns the functional building into an architectural component of the public realm.

Second construction phase: dynamism and evolution

A second structure followed in 2011. With around 800 additional spaces, it expands capacity and introduces new design impulses. Here, the bamboo façade is developed further into a distinctive wave form. The curved structure creates a sense of movement and reinforces the atmospheric impact. Green roofs again provide rainwater retention and contribute to the ecological quality of the building.

Architecture in dialogue with its surroundings

Both structures are integrated into the centrally located urban setting of Leipzig Zoo. Pedestrian circulation along the façades guides visitors on their way to the zoo and creates a link between mobility and experience. The architecture is conceived as part of the public realm: open, accessible, and functional.

Project Profile

Project: Car Parks at Zoo
Location: Leipzig
Client: Zoo Leipzig GmbH
GFA: 16.500 m²
Completion: 2011
Awards: BDA Prize Saxony (commendation), Renault Traffic Design Award, Architecture Prize of the City of Leipzig

Interior view of a spiral staircase made of exposed concrete with metal railings, functional design in a multi-storey car park

Long, undulating car park façade made of vertical wooden slats, rhythmic architecture along a footpath

View upwards through circular opening in wooden slat structure of car park, dynamic lighting effect and clear geometry

View from modern glass foyer onto historic building with arcades and red brick details, contrast between car park and old building

Covered passageway in the car park with floor markings in the form of animal paws and tracks, behind which vertical wooden slats serve as façade elements.