Zurich, Switzerland, 2012

Webnet in a tropical rainforest

Masoala Hall

To celebrate the ten-year anniversary of the Masoala Hall, the Zurich Zoo built a treetop path. It allows zoo visitors to see eye-to-eye with the inhabitants of the rainforest canopy up in the treetops.

A new attraction at the Zoo Zurich

Since its opening in 2003, the Masoala hall has become a central part of the Zoo Zurich and represents a new way to present animals. Instead of single species, an entire habitat is reconstructed which can be accessed by the visitors.

The treetop walkway adds a new dimension to the visitor experience: in airy height, they can watch flying foxes and red ruffed lemurs. On the way to the top, visitors cross different sections of the tropical vegetation and the habitat they provide. The elegant walkway along the treetops connects the big lookout with a smaller construction. The foot paths and the two towers (10 and 18 metres high) were strung with Webnet. The outsides of the towers feature plant ‘pockets’ made of Webnet.

Extreme conditions

The assembly work was done under difficult circumstances in the middle of the flora and fauna with a tropical climate. The hot and humid air and the animals, which consider the path a part of their habitat, make extreme demands on the stability of the stainless steel net.

Jakob products

Webnet, Ø 1.5 mm, mesh size for the towers 100 mm, for other areas and plant ‘pockets’ 40 mm