This year marks the half century of one the UK's most recognisable zoo structures. Built in 1965 when the aviary was opened it was the second largest aviary in the world, and was Britain’s first walk-through aviary. It was the first permanent tension structure in the UK, the first to be built from aluminium, and the use of stainless steel forgings and lightweight welded mesh (the ‘nets’), were technological innovations for the time. The thumbnail below is from one of the first guides to the residents of the aviary. 50 years of the Snowdon Aviary | Zoological Society of London (ZSL)
