Indianapolis Zoo Simon Skjodt International Orangutan Center

Award Winning Zoo Exhibit

Named the winner of the 2014 Indiana Innovation Award, the center has been called one of the most significant zoo exhibits anywhere in the world!

Turner, Browning Day and the Zoo collaborated to create a unique, state-of-the art exhibit. Our goal was simple – give the orangutans spaces that function as trees to allow them to express their normal behaviors for optimal physical, physiological, and intellectual health. The team went to the primates’ native habitat for inspiration.

From material selection to layout of the exhibit, we successfully mimicked the environment of a forest without trying to emulate the look of the real thing. Because orangutans prefer to dwell high up in the forest canopy, the design provided them with multiple opportunities for vertical and lateral movement within and outside the center.

Sustainable features include an 8,000 sq. ft. green roof that helps manage stormwater and extends the longevity of the roof assembly, in addition to the use of groundwater source heat pumps that utilize well water for natural heating and cooling.