Old Elephant House.

Overview

Turning a heritage animal enclosure into a working bar and restaurant is adaptive reuse at its trickiest, more so inside an open zoo. Complete Construction converted the Old Elephant House at Auckland Zoo into a bar and restaurant. We enclosed the existing openings with a new façade and fully fitted out the interior with services, kitchen equipment and mechanical plant.

Key challenges

• Converting an animal enclosure into a hospitality space.
• Fitting new services into an existing heritage structure.
• Working inside a live, public zoo.

How we solved it

A tailored façade enclosed the structure while keeping its character. We fitted the services in with little structural disturbance, and worked closely with zoo staff so the build stayed safe and never affected daily operations or visitor flow.

Outcome

The Old Elephant House is now a standout hospitality venue inside Auckland Zoo, delivered to a high standard with little disruption. The Old Elephant House is a standout example of adaptive reuse and live site construction.