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Snow Kreilich Architects partnered with the Minnesota Zoo to reimagine the infrastructure for its decommissioned monorail as a new elevated pedestrian walkway and viewing platform. Linking exhibits to the south with undeveloped, forested environments in the northern half of the Zoo, the envisioned walkway immerses visitors into a wonderland of natural elements and grants them unparalleled vantage points.
Initially contracted to conduct a feasibility study, Snow Kreilich Architects collaborated with Meyer Borgman Johnson to investigate structural capacity of the existing infrastructure. In this phase, Snow Kreilich developed a conceptual framework for the project with maps, diagrams, and renderings of the newly imagined Treetop Trail. This documentation became the basis for a successful marketing and fundraising campaign.
Snow Kreilich compiled an interdisciplinary team comprising of Buro Happold, TEN x TEN Landscape Architects, Victus Engineering, Barr Engineering, MIG, and SIG to complete the design and documentation for the construction of this transformative trail. Upon trail completion, the Zoo saw an increase of 2,200 in daily attendance in its first year and realized over 105 million in earned media impressions.
Not just an elevated walkway and overlook, the 1.25-mile-long trail incorporates four distinct “access points” to enhance the user experience and introduce the visitor to the trail. It reinforces the overall mission of the Zoo, prioritizes accessibility, and provides opportunities for respite, wayfinding, interpretation, and enhanced engagement of the Zoo’s programming and exhibits. By strengthening and enhancing connection between people, animals, and the natural world, the Treetop Trail inspires community to have compassion for wildlife, habitats, and each other.
See more at: treetoptrail.mnzoo.org
