The new $30-million Taronga Institute of Science and Learning at the Taronga Zoo in Sydney is a world-class education facility designed as a living laboratory for conservation education and scientific investigation, and built to empower the scientists of tomorrow. The Institute, which replaced Taronga Zoo’s existing education facility, was formally opened by the Duke and Duchess of Sussex in October 2018 on their tour of Australia for the 2018 Invictus Games.
Following the initial concept and detailed design by NBRS Architecture, the project was delivered by BKA Architects and Taylor Constructions.
All the teaching spaces including the 300-seat auditorium have been designed around the theme of desert, woodland and rainforest habitats associated with some of the Zoo’s most iconic animals.
The architects chose Key-Ply Euro Birch Plywood wall linings from Keystone Linings for the auditorium to achieve the arid, woodland theme as well as help accomplish a 6 Green Star public building rating.
Keystone Linings sourced standard (2.4m) and jumbo (3.0m) sized long grain Euro Birch plywood sheets from Gen-Eco Environmental Wood Products, and supplied them as perforated and solid panels to the site.
The installers, Auzoom Projects won the commercial category award at the 2018 AWCI NSW Awards of Excellence for their work on this project.
Key-Ply FSC-certified Euro Birch plywood panels are available in sheet sizes of 3050 x 1220mm, 3050 x 1530mm and 2440 x 1220mm and thicknesses ranging between 9mm and 30mm.
