Information about Lubetkin's Penguin Pool

Taken 30.10.09

Thank you so much for posting this and the other picture of the signs at Lubetkin´s pool! Being hopelessly fascinated by modernistic architecture - but well aware of all its shortcomings - it is highly interesting to me to read how the zoo now presents this building! It could have been written a bit sharper - and a suggestion from forumster snowleopard comes to mind: how about if Copenhagen Zoo put up a sign, saying they are sorry for the way elephants were kept for a very long time?

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But from a purely aesthetically point of view, I don´t mind telling you though that if I had been a multi-millionare I would have had some architect creating a perfect copy of this fascinating structure in my garden....

So, is the main problem with this exhibit for penguins largely its size?

The main problem as I understand it was actually the entirely unremitting concrete floor, which led to a lot of health problems. That said, it's not big at all; the size is certainly far from a selling point!

Dan's right, though, that it's a fascinating piece of architecture, and I'm very glad it's being well looked-after.

Also, enlarge the picture and read the sign.

That's really interesting. Many zoos keep there penguins on concrete, but I've never heard of it being a problem before.

It's my pleasure, I saw the signs and after reading some threads on the Zoo's architecture I thought, ZooChat might like to see this! And even if the pool is not being used for its purpose anymore, it is still stunning architectually!

Yes it is an absolute masterpiece from an aesthetic point of view. To bad that the modernistic architecture theories went so wrong when they were practised.

A bit of irony: the Swedish word for modernistic architecture, translated into English, is "functionalism"!

So what's in the pool now?

Nothing animal-wise - just a fountain.

All for the best - they had porcupines in here for a while but I don't imagine the deep substrate they put in was doing the structure any good. It's good to see it back more-or-less as intended (architecturally if not zoologically!).