“Zoo Zoo” is filled with too much content of reptiles’ exhibition hall, Crocodile Theater, Lion Theater, Sea Lion Theater, etc within a relatively small size site. It might be required four times of current size to accommodate all kinds of programs on the zoo.



In spite of this limited condition, this zoo is always crowded with elementary students in Seoul and Geonggi-do area visit this zoo to have an experience of touching animals. The site is located near by the river and the site have a very high chance of flood during the raining season due to the low site level.

There are two buildings. One is a “lion theater” and the other is a “crocodile theater.” While keeping the design concept of utilizing underneath of the seats, the building shape is defined by the shape of the site. The lion theater mass is molded by the parallelogram shape site and 20 degree seats slope of the client’s requestion.



Crocodile theater mass is molded by the distorted round shape island site and 37 degree slope seats. This condition produced three dimensional curve line edge at the elevation. This arbitrary lookalike masses are actually casted logically by the requested seat slope and site shape.

Architects: Hyunjoon Yoo Architects
Location: 290 Gwansang-dong, Dukyang-gu, Goyang-si, Geonggi-do, Korea
Client: Zoo Zoo
Collaborators: Eo Architectural Office, Daikyung Construction Co.
Project Area: Lion Theater / 379.78 sqm, Crocodile Theater / 417.17 sqm
Project Year: 2008-2010
Photographs: Seunghoon Yum

Hyunjoon Yoo Architects