ZOOOF get’s a honorable mention for the entry Living Apart Together for the Barcelona Zoo in the “Coexist: Rethinking Zoos” Competition.

Just like us, most animals in the zoo have been citizens for generations. But unlike us, they were never enabled to explore their citizenship and their own forms of urbanity.

By mixing species and their interests with neighbouring human activitiesin la Ciutadella, the space of the zoo can become a meaningful habitat for encounter between humans and non-humans. By integrating daily activities of our human lives -sports, café’s and offices- and cutting new public walkways through the zoo, the animals are provided an equal chance to observe human behavior.

Contemporary zoos mainly exist of visitor spaces and maintenance infrastructure. By re-purposing these spaces designed just for humans into in three large multi-species zones, the animals can roam freely instead of being locked up in individual exhibits. By carefully curating the collection, every animal can be granted enough space to wonder, while retaining a safe flight distance – a necessity for the comfort of every citizen (animals and humans alike). Care facilities for animals can be housed in several mobile caterpillar units, taking care of the medical, nutritional and emotional needs of every animal.