Tender for Rockhampton Botanic Gardens & Zoo Visitor Hub

Rockhampton Regional Council is inviting tenders for the construction of a new visitor hub and animal operations centre at the Rockhampton Botanic Gardens & Zoo.

The project has received grant funding from the Australian Government’s Building Better Regions Fund. The Botanic Gardens & Zoo is one of the major tourism contributors to the region. Each year it welcomes thousands of visitors to view the collection of native and exotic flora and fauna. The new visitor hub and animal operations centre aims to enhance the experience and engage visitors immediately they enter the grounds.

Plans include a public facing animal food preparation area and enrichment room; education rooms in the visitor hub; and a new reptile exhibit incorporated into the wall of the building.

The council is eager to work collaboratively with the preferred tenderer. They want to make sure that the Rockhampton Botanic Gardens & Zoo Visitor Hub project is cost effective and delivers the best outcomes for the community.

The focus of the project design is to increase public engagement with the exhibits. Richard Coulson, Director, Cox Architecture, said the design had to minimise disruption to the established curated landscape and maximise future opportunities for the zoo.

“The Visitor Hub is arranged as a simple extruded form on the edge of the zoo and the gardens culminating in a more dramatic entry building,” said Mr Coulson.

“The entry establishes a new circulation route through the Zoo that supports development of new exhibits, equitable grade pathways, and shade and pause points.”

“The building supports mixed mode ventilation strategies and provides a deep overhang on the northern side which acts as a wildlife viewing veranda.”

The Rockhampton Botanic Gardens & Zoo Visitor Hub tender is open until 2 November 2022 and can be found on the Queensland Tenders website.

Artist renders are available on line courtesy of the council and we have used one in the post.

Madrigal Communications has specialist writers on the team with knowledge of construction (and zoology).