Lion House at Lincoln Park Zoo named ENR Midwest Project of the Year, receives Chicago Innovation Award
The $41-million renovation, restoration, and expansion of the Pepper Family Wildlife Center at Lincoln Park Zoo in Chicago has won two more awards.
It was named the ENR Midwest Project of the Year for 2022 and received a Chicago Innovation Award for its innovative use of a research app.
The project preserved the original lion house — built in 1912 and a designated Chicago Landmark — while improving the habitat and giving guests a closer look at the big cats.
IMEG provided commissioning services for the project.
The renovation included the building’s great hall, lion keeper support spaces, lion holding cages, conference room, and offices. The outdoor lion habitat was expanded, based on years of behavioral data monitoring gathered with an app call “ZooMonitor,” to encourage species-specific activity.
It was the innovative use of the app that led to the Chicago Innovation Award.
The Lincoln Park Zoo Pepper Family Wildlife Center has received multiple awards: ENR Midwest’s 2022 Regional Best Project in the Cultural/Worship category, the 2022 Landmarks Illinois Richard H. Driehaus Foundation Preservation Award for Rehabilitation, and the Richard H. Driehaus Legacy Award.
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