San Antonio Zoo Parking Garage

Civic, Parking Structures

Reinforcing a mission of conservation and education, our vividly illustrated parking structure for the San Antonio Zoo now doubles as its lively, engaging gateway.

The San Antonio Zoo Parking Garage, resulting from a bold strategic partnership, is a beacon for both the Zoo and the City of San Antonio. It transcends utility by engaging visitors with an experience that is mission-driven, educational, and fun. The five-story precast concrete structure accommodates approximately 600 cars and is clad with climbing vines, vibrant color, and wonder. It’s inhabited by some Texas-sized friends of the Zoo. A shady and densely native-landscaped 1,200-foot-long pedestrian path connects the parking garage to the existing entry of the Zoo.

From the onset of the design process, the parking garage was imagined as more than just an amenity to the Zoo. It is an extension of the Zoo learning experience. The animals on the structure were selected deliberately to call attention to the Zoo’s conservation efforts around the world. The giraffes and the tiger represent the Zoo’s global reach including Africa and Asia respectively, while the Monarch butterflies highlight their efforts locally in San Antonio and North America. Each Parking Level identifies with a particular strata and fauna from varying ecosystems. Species were selected from inhabitants of the San Antonio Zoo, or from those protected through its Conservation efforts.

Guiding principles:
Enhance the educational goals of the Zoo
Spotlight the Zoo’s conservation efforts
Create a beacon for the Zoo and the City

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The San Antonio Zoo

San Antonio, Texas

211,800 SF / 610 cars

Completed 2019

The structure is clad with climbing vines, vibrant color, and wonder.

Monarch butterflies highlight the Zoo’s local conservation efforts.

I stand by my belief that we have created the most beautiful parking garage on the planet that further amplifies the conservation work we do locally, regionally, and around the world. The garage is a great example of the vibrancy of San Antonio Zoo’s future.