

Zoological Garden House Etoscha
An ensemble of solid rammed earth walls in combination with a concrete structure surrounds this extraordinary predator enclosure. The choice of materials follows the aim of staging flora and fauna in as natural an environment as possible. The up to 70 cm thick outer walls made of rammed earth meet both ecological and design requirements in a special way.
Unlike artificially painted backdrops in conventional enclosures, the rough, layered structure of the clay building forms an authentic, sensory background level for the elaborately designed landscape spaces inside. The transition between built space and nature appears almost permeable – a wall without scale, whose fine layers and color nuances create a quiet rhythm in the changing light.
Arch. Peter Stiener
Basel Zoological Garden AG
Lehm Ton Erde Baukunst GmbH
















