| Thorburn Associates (TA), is pleased to have provided acoustic, audio, and control system engineering to Karibu Village, the new main entrance pavilion at The Oakland Zoo. Karibu Village features a state-of-the-art sound system providing authentic African music to welcome guests. "The audio system that Thorburn Associates designed is blended with the architectural and landscape design" states Dr. Parrott, Zoo Director. "It compliments the activities of ticket, gift and food sales."
Thorburn Associates' design encompasses the Entrance Sign Loudspeaker system, Walkway Loudspeaker system, Building and Ticket Pavilion Loudspeaker system, and Food Service Pavilion Loudspeaker system. The system allows for automatic volume control depending on how active a space is (i.e. the food court) and options for automatic start up and shut down. All audio sources are owner furnished CD's.
Karibu Village is a $2.8 million main entrance pavilion. The 20,000 square foot project includes a new gift shop, restaurant, membership office, restrooms and outdoor dining area. Other amenities include five new ticket windows to accommodate the increasing number of visitors to the zoo. A new handcrafted archway sign has been installed to greet visitors. The wood frame and stucco complex has been designed to simulate the African coastal village of Lamu, off the coast of Kenya.
Great care and close attention to detail has been taken to create the unique and authentic appearance of the connected structures. "The visitor experience is supposed to change once they come through those ticket booths. They are leaving a parking lot in Oakland and entering a coast-side village in East Africa", explains Dr. Parrott.
A mixture of East, South and North African cultures can be found in the village of Lamu, as well as strong Arabic and Mediterranean architectural influences. Arabic architectural detail can be found on some of the faux façade rooflines. The ceramic tile colors and patterns, chosen in the Island Café restaurant, reflect Mediterranean designs. The wood trim on many of the windows and doorways has been carved with authentic African patterns.
As visitors approach the new ticket booths, sounds of authentic African music greet them. "Many of the plants that make up the large new entry beds, are native to Africa". According to Dr. Parrott, "this is no coincidence. Here at the zoo, we are part of a microclimate that is very similar to than found in parts of Africa. This also explains why the zoo's collection of animals from Africa is larger that other regions represented at the zoo".
The new main entrance pavilion marks the completion of one of the last steps to the full redevelopment of the zoo. The expansion and remodel of the Children's Zoo is slated to begin in 2003. A private capital campaign has been inaugurated to fund the $5.3 million project.
TA is a full service design and engineering firm specializing in audio, video, control, and acoustics. Founded in 1992 by principals who have consulted on and managed over 1,800 projects, they provide a full range of services that allow the client, architect, or end-user a single point of contact during design and construction. The staff is comfortable providing tradittional design or design/build services and is experienced with the integration of diverse disciplines and technology. |
