Bronx Zoo Lion House

The Lion House, the largest historic Beaux-Arts building at the center of the Bronx Zoo, had been closed to visitors since the late 1970s. When the Zoo decided to reopen the space as an immersive exhibit on Madagascar, the structure's landmark designation posed a challenge of how to maximize greatly needed space while preserving the original structure.

A constricted cellar was excavated and expanded to provide additional spaces for animals with daylight. Open-air cages, which originally housed lions, were transformed into new natural environments for the flora and fauna of Madagascar. The public viewing hall was also reconfigured into a rentable, multi-purpose space that opens to a landscaped garden and terrace. As a pilot project for the City of New York's sustainability guidelines, the structure features a greywater recycling system, a fuel cell, and geothermal walls. The Lion House was the first designated landmark in New York State to achieve LEED certification, making it a forward-looking model for sustainability that honors its architectural heritage.