Aviary in the Munich Zoo at Hellabrunn | Frei Otto

In 1945 Hellabrunn had to start all over for the third time. Through innovation and improvisation the management was able to reopen as the first German zoo after the war. The development between 1945 and 1967 was slow since hardly any public funds were available.

In 1967 and 1969 the Predator enclosures were renewed. In 1970 the board of directors requested a general extension plan that was put into practice from 1973 onwards by Dipl.-Ing. Jörg Gribl, who was still member of the architecture firm Peter Lanz at that time.

Fundamental changes were for example made by the grand redesign of the park area “Europe” that changed from an area of many small enclosures for different species of deer into a generous habitat for chamois and marmots.

A visionary building is the aviary build in 1981. It measures 18 meters in height and an area of 5.000 square meters that is covered by a fine mesh of stainless steel. Inside is an idyllic landscape with a small stream where the birds can fly around freely just like in the wild.