Woodland Park Zoo African Village

African Village Interpretive Elements

client: Woodland Park Zoo
location: Seattle, WA | size: 7,500 sq ft | opened: 2001

The African Village is the signature entry to the African Savanna Habitat at Woodland Park Zoo in Seattle. LCS designed the furniture, props, artifacts, and other items that tell the story in an immersive environment, all without using third person signage. Working as the interpretive designers for Patrick Janikowski Architects, Mindy and her team designed this experience so that visitors feel as though they have lived a day in East Africa. The primary message is that East Africa is a complex environment, combining elements of the ancient and modern, where humans and animals live in increasingly close proximity. (Remarkably, Mindy designed of much of the furniture without research and only afterwards confirmed that it was correct. Having not yet visited Kenya, National Geographics in Mindy’s childhood must have made an indelible impression.)

It feels like home. – Kikuta Hamisi, Maasai warrior and interpreter for the WPZ African Village