Colchester Zoo

Colchester Zoo has appointed Streetspace to deliver a number of projects to meet the zoo’s ongoing programme of developing and improving its outdoor dining spaces.

For its ice cream kiosk, the zoo wanted to provide a covered space that would not only shade visitors while they queued for ice cream, but also give them protection from the inevitable British rain showers.

The structure needed to look great and match other similar installations used across the park.

For this – its eighth – project for Colchester Zoo, Streetspace created a bespoke ORION Barrel Vault Fabric Canopy.

The architecturally stunning steel frame canopy and tensile membrane roof provides a clear span area with an ambient sense of space. The canopy is formed by a single piece of continuous fabric and has a symmetrical, clean and minimalist design.

Designed in association with Streetspace’s tensile membrane manufacturing partner, the canopy fabric is a high-tech PVC architectural fabric with a PVDF top coat. This self-cleaning lacquering layer gives improved UV resistance for longevity and durability.

Contract Manager, Martyn Petrosius, oversaw the project. He commented,

“Installation needed to be extremely quick, so that it caused minimal disruption to the running of the 60 acre site. We successfully achieved this by installing the canopy during the ‘off-season’, and had it finished and ready in time for the Easter Bank Holiday weekend, which is one of the park’s busiest times.”

The canopy for the ice cream kiosk is sited adjacent to a previous Streetspace installation, for the Southern Fried Chicken restaurant canopy. Both canopies share the same styling, which presents a consistent design theme throughout the park and makes the buildings appear seamlessly integrated.

The new canopy offers zoo visitors a covered outdoor space to enjoy their ice creams in the shade on a sunny day, and gives a good level of weather protection all year round.

Added Petrosius,

“The protection afforded by the canopy means that visitors stay longer in this area – and this increases their average spend. The canopy is an incredibly sound investment that will only reap increasingly positive returns for the zoo as time goes by.”

Follow the link for further information on fabric canopies OR give our team a call on 01227 200404