Update on the Master Plan of Allwetterzoo Münster

(eap) After the Allwetterzoo Münster was able to celebrate the opening of the new tropical “Meranti Hall” in June after about three years of construction – which, with costs of about 21.5 million euros, represents the largest construction project of the Allwetterzoo until to date and is considered a pilot project of the “Masterplan 2030 plus”  – there is now an update on the further implementation of the master plan.

Already in 2018, the master plan, which was developed in collaboration with dan pearlman Erlebnisarchitektur, was approved with an investment volume of 59 million euros. In the course of the construction of the Meranti Hall, added values for the environment, animals and visitors that had not initially been planned for were realized after a change in the zoo’s executive management – Dr. Simone Schehka took over the management of the all-weather zoo from Dr. Thomas Wilms in July 2020 – which increased the project volume by about ten percent. In addition, there was a moderate increase in construction costs, which, after deduction of third-party funds, also amounted to about ten percent.

A realignment and adjustment of the original construction plans and time schedules are intended to ensure the successful continued implementation of the Masterplan 2030 plus also after the realization of the pilot project. The concept of zoning the all-weather zoo into climate zones and focusing it as a climate and species protection zoo will be retained. It is expected that projects will be revised in terms of content and merged in order to save costs through the resulting synergy effects and to be able to keep within the targeted total plan costs of 59 million euros, the zoo explains. ■