Influx_Studio is a design practice based in Paris, founded by Mario Caceres, Chilean architect and urban planner, and Christian Canonico, Italian architect and engineer. Since 2008 their work is focused on research and design in a wide range of fields: from architecture to landscape, from urbanism to industrial design.
Influx_Studio’s design research involves the creation of innovative and hybrids design strategies, developed from new complex cultural conditions and merging different scales of human environment. With a particular attention for sustainable matters, this young international practice operates as a network platform, being a cooperative and multi-disciplinary conception hub.
They latest proposal Vertical Safari consists of a crazy plan that launches the traditional zoo far into the future. Submitted for consideration to the city of Buenos Aires, the project was inspired by wildlife safaris in which visitors drive around to free-roaming animals — except it takes the concept to its vertical limit. Influx combines the safari with the city with a futuristic animal skyscraper that joins the urban skyline.
Project description from the architects:
Zoo design is in the midst of an evolution taking place around the world. The key issue is how allow the Buenos Aires Vertical Zoo, becoming a real gateway to the natural world, being the display of live animals, encouraging visitors to take action benefiting wildlife and ecosystems.
We propose that the whole zoo experience be inspired by the aim of modern Safaris. Consisting an overland journey, a trip taken for observes and photograph wildlife, travelling among protected areas, taking care about to be low impact and often small scale. Usually visitors can drive in their own vehicles and observe the wildlife, rather than viewing animals in cages or small enclosures. That concept is according with the “immersion exhibit” trends, showing animals in their own nature context.
We propose to add an unexpected bonus… an observation wheel to create a dramatic and surprising city sightseeing safari! An astonishing new kind of building, issue of several trends emerging architectural and urban icons. It can be defined as a hybrid that merges the skyscraper, the safari zoo, and the Ferry’s Wheel into an ecological urban new beacon, creating a dynamic civic building attractive for a very wider public. Located in the projection of the visual axe joining the Reserve area to the Obelisk, the Observation wheel is the nerve center of the whole complex Zoo. Turning very slowly the observation wheel takes 30 minutes to complete a half circuit.
Arrived to the top of the circuit, visitors can make a pause and enjoy sightseeing options at the visitor’s facilities level. It holds the educational program and the cafeteria, gift and souvenirs shop etc. That level is suspended into the void of the master volume above the wheel providing various dramatics and unexpected view sights to visitors.
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